Scheming Woman
by Kitty O
Summary: A survivor of the Great Purge is going to kill Uther and Arthur. No one will stand in her way. Except a certain warlock with an attachment to the Prince and the ability to use magic to tackle her to the ground of the king's chambers. Merlin/OC, no slash
1. Beginning

_A/N: Merlin was so cute with Freya, as we all remember, but what the next girl that falls in love with him is more than he bargained for? In other words, what if she likes him—but she also likes the idea of bumping off Uther? This first part is mostly about her and her friend, but the rest of the story will probably be told by Merlin. This is just me trying to ease into things. Enjoy! (It's kind of short.)_

Prologue

Xyla sat in a tree ten feet off the ground, smiling a little to herself as she leaned against the tree trunk.

"Pick one," she whispered to her friend Kushi, who sat next to her.

Kushi giggled (Kushi always giggled) and shook her head. "No," she mouthed, looking down at the heads below them. "There's too many."

Xyla rolled her eyes. "Surely they cannot all be pleasing to your eyes? You, my friend, are not picky enough."

Sniggering, Kushi responded, "I've never heard that before. Besides, is that why we're here?"

"Of course not. So what? You're too sensible." Xyla peered down at the men below her, grinning. They were knights of Camelot, for heavens sake. They were handsome and romantic, and they had _battle_ _scars_. What more did Kushi want? Brains?

"You pick one," ordered Kushi, her eyes flickering over the heads of the knights. None of them looked up. Even if they did, they would not see the two young girls scrutinizing them. One of the many advantages of being a _sihirli kisi, _a creature of magic, a human who lived a magic lifestyle. The obvious disadvantage was that if Uther Pendragon caught you, he would kill you.

"I don't want one. They're knights; they're stupid. I want a man smarter than I am, Kushi dear."

"Please pick one you like. I want to know who will meet your standards," begged Kushi.

"I'll pick one if you do," bargained Xyla.

Kushi bit her lip. "Well, we should be getting about our business anyway, I suppose."

Then Xyla laughed. "Oh! Now I know you have your eye on one. Go ahead, take the deal."

Kushi flipped her raven locks over her bare shoulder, muttering. "Fine. Do you see that blonde one?"

"Which?"

"The one with the blue eyes. The one with the _shoulders_," sighed Kushi ecstatically.

Being a girl, Xyla knew exactly which one she was talking about. "Him?" she laughed, pointing him out. "He's cute enough, I suppose. Do you know who he is, though? That's Arthur. Pendragon, you fool. He'd never like you."

Kushi was highly insulted. "Why not?"

"Because we're here to ki—"

"Arthur!" called a voice from below, making her stop mid-word, "Wait!"

Arthur, sighing impatiently, turned around. "Really, Merlin, are you completely useless?" He put a mocking emphasis on the word _Merlin_, as though he could say no worse insult.

"Because he's a jerk," Xyla finished with a growl, watching the skinny, dark-haired boy named Merlin catch up with an effort, running into their line of sight.

"Well, I'm useful enough to get a stone from my horse's hoof, something you couldn't be bothered with," responded the boy, making Xyla chuckle and Kushi scowl. Merlin rode his horse up after Arthur with a grin, clearly not concerned what Arthur thought of his lagging behind. As they spoke, the rest of the knight kept moving, slowly but surely leaving them behind.

"He shouldn't speak to the Prince that way," said Kushi angrily.

"Of course not, Merlin, that's why I have you," the Prince was sneering in a way that made Xyla's blood boil.

Merlin shrugged. "Make up your mind, am I useless or aren't I?"

"You are, idiot. I don't know why I keep you around."

"Don't take it out on me if you're indecisive, Sire."

Xyla bit her lip to keep from laughing at the backtalk.

"You shouldn't use words that are bigger than you are," remarked Arthur coldly.

Kushi chuckled.

"We can't all be brawn and no brains, Arthur."

And Merlin's words were so close to Xyla's earlier ones that she actually let out a peal of laughter, distracting Arthur.

"What was that?" he asked, looking up instead of responding to Merlin's implied insult.

Kushi covered Xyla's mouth with her hand, giving her a panicked, warning look. Xyla nodded, getting ahold of herself with an effort, and pushed the hand away.

"I didn't hear anything," said Merlin, glancing ahead of them, towards the knights. "Arthur, we're falling behind everyone else."

"What?" Arthur tore his eyes away from the tree above them and looked at Merlin. "Oh, yes, let's go then."

The two men prodded their horses on, disappearing from the girls' line of sight.

Xyla and Kushi could breathe again. "C'mon, then," said Xyla. "It's time to go."

"Wait! You didn't pick one!" protested Kushi.

"Oh, yes." Xyla gave the matter serious thought. "I don't know… Yes, I do! That marvelously witty boy. What was his name? Oh, Merlin. I pick Merlin!" she sang out, keeping her voice hushed.

Kushi looked disappointed. "Him? He wasn't even handsome!"

"I think he was adorable! And he was smart, too. And bold."

"Yes, but," giggled Kushi, "did you see his _ears_?"

"I loved them," answered Xyla defensively. Now that she'd picked her champion, she was going to stick by him until the end.

Kushi shook her head at such foolishness. "To each her own," she at last conceded, grinning. "Now let's get going."

"You know what? They don't look so tough. I think I can handle to hunting group, Kushi. I want to follow them and see what I can find out. Why don't you go ahead to Camelot and find work there? I'll catch up to you in a few days."

Kushi looked uncomfortable with this idea, but she finally agreed, admitting that there was nothing they could do to her friend as long as Xyla stayed hidden. And Xyla might pick up useful information on the trip, information they could use.

"Don't worry," Xyla soothed her. "Everything will work out. By the time we're finished here, Uther will be dead."

The thought comforted Kushi.

_A/N: Well, there we go. It's not very long, but it's just a prologue. I don't know how long this is going to be. Thank you for reading, and I will try to respond to every review. I hope you liked it._


	2. Chapter One

_A/N: Didn't plan to update so soon, but as I learned in Physical Science today that some sick-o named Schrödinger is killing kitties with radioactivity, I figured I'd better get a move on and publish more before he came after Yours Truly. (Oh, please tell me you got that. It was a joke… because of my fanfic name?)_

_Anyway, bad jokes aside, please enjoy and review. Sorry it's a little weak... but the rest will be better, I promise. _

_No slash, duh. It's about a girl and Merlin. _

Chapter One

Merlin sighed as he crouched on the ground, far behind the rest of the group. Normal hunting was bad enough; hunting for magical creatures that would potentially kill you was worse. A lot worse. It scared him silly like nothing else could… and he meant _nothing else_.

For it was unfortunate but true that the same Merlin who drank poison to save the life of Prince Arthur, the same Merlin who killed evil men, faced down a knight twice his size, and admitted to being a sorcerer to save Gwen's life, turned into a bumbling (well, more bumbling than usual), foolish, ridiculous _idiot_ on these trips.

Which was probably why Arthur insisted that he come every single time.

They were on foot now, sneaking up on the beast that had eaten several cows and attacked two villagers, and Merlin wanted to be somewhere else. He held no weapon Merlin here? He wasn't trained for this!

The knights ahead of him stayed close to the ground, silently making their way through the undergrowth, walking (on purpose!) towards the shuffling noises that sounded like the creature they were after.

Merlin had spotted it once, just before their trip. That thing had been scary: green and scaly, but feathery along its… well, its arms, he supposed. It had the shape of a lizard, and the size of a large dog. Its tongue had been pointed like a snake's, and Merlin could've _sworn_ it breathed fire at intervals.

The thing made his heart beat a little faster.

The men were silently rotating, still in a triangle formation, as they followed the sounds the creature (Gaius hadn't been able to give it a name, but Arthur had one: freak of nature, how about?). Merlin didn't notice, so caught up was he in his anger towards Arthur and knights in general. They, in turn, were too focused on the bushy trees in front of them to pay any attention to what Merlin was doing.

Xyla, farther back than even Merlin, cocked her head to the side. What was the manservant doing, standing there? Was this planned?

Obviously not, she decided as a large crashing sound and an un-manly shriek from Merlin resounded. The scaled creature was running away from the knights… and right at Merlin, its sharp teeth bared and flames licking at its nose.

_Oh, no._

Merlin could've tried to stop the monster with magic, but he wasn't stupid enough to perform any spells with so many knights watching, so he took the only path open to him: running for his life.

He spun on his heel, yelling, and raced back to way he had come not ten minutes ago, ungracefully stumbling every other second. He looked back over his shoulder after a few steps to see the creature in hot pursuit, looking angry. Well, what had he expected? That it would just stop?

He kept going, ducking behind a tree in hopes that a stupid creature would lose him, his heart throbbing so fast he could hear it.

It wasn't stupid. It kept coming.

Merlin gasped for breath, the knights disappearing behind him, though he could still hear their shouts. In all their heavy armor, they were not as fast as a scared Merlin or an angry beast.

When he was perhaps ten seconds worth of running ahead of the knights of Camelot (and out of sight), Merlin stopped running and turned around, hand outstretched, eyes beginning to flash gold. Time began to slow, the beast began to slow… but his spell never got a chance to finish itself. Suddenly a hard object struck Merlin's side, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground and hitting his head.

_OWW! Wha…? Something hit me! Where's the monster?_

Merlin looked up to see the beast, lying on the ground and drawing its last breaths. With every movement, more silvery blood spilled out of the creature's chest, around the dagger embedded in its body. Merlin's dagger. But Merlin hadn't put it there, of that he was sure. Merlin ran his hand over his side. The dagger was not there, of course.

The creature gave one last, pathetic whine, and lay still, no longer breathing. The bleeding began to stop.

Someone next to Merlin gave a sigh of relief. Arthur?

Merlin started at the legs of the person and looked upward from there, eyes finally resting on the face. He gulped in surprise. Ooh, boy, this was most certainly _not _Arthur Pendragon.

A pretty young woman peered down at him, her golden eyes rapidly changing back to brown. She wore a white blousy shirt and fitting pants, and her brown hair was falling out of her braid and onto her face. Did he mention that she was pretty?

All of this he took in within the second before she gasped out, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" He started to get to his feet.

"Merlin!"

_That_, however,_ was_ Arthur, coming fast. And here was Merlin, kneeling in front of a mysterious girl who had just used magic to save his life – though, of course, he could've done that himself…

"Hide!" he ordered, jumping to his feet and pushing her behind the nearest thick tree, where she thankfully stayed put.

"_Merlin_!"

"Right here, Arthur," called Merlin, his voice shaking slightly.

Arthur appeared suddenly, running flat out. "Are you okay?" he called, his voice and eyes filled with concern. He stopped in front of Merlin, stared at him in amazement, and then looked down at the dead beast. "What happened?"

"I killed it," offered Merlin lamely, with a covert glance behind the tree. He inched forward, forcing Arthur to step back without realizing it.

"You killed it? With what?"

"A dagger?" said Merlin, as though it was a question. _With what?_ Did Arthur seriously just ask him that?

Arthur's blue eyes went wide. "You got that close? There's not a scratch on you!"

Merlin rolled his eyes, trying not to look like he was making this up. "No, I threw it."

"And you actually hit it?" There was no mistaking the doubt in Arthur's voice. Apparently, he'd sufficiently recovered from his moment of caring to start acting like a… like a… prat…

"Obviously," said Merlin, tilting his head and giving his trademark goofy smile. "It's dead, isn't it? So I guess this means we can go home?"

"Yeah…" Arthur had not yet recovered from the shock. _It was a lucky shot, _he told himself. _It had to be a lucky shot._

The rest of the knights had begun to gather around, waiting for Arthur to tell them what to do.

"Sire?" said Merlin gently. "Shouldn't everyone head back to camp now?"

"What?" Arthur looked up, dazed. "Oh, yeah. Yeah. Everybody, we're finished here!" He turned around to face his knights, pushing back his blonde hair. "We'll go back to Camelot in the morning."

The knights all nodded in respect and assent. Merlin waited impatiently for them to leave. They turned almost as one and left, walking slowly and talking among themselves. Soon it was just Merlin and Arthur left… and a mysterious girl behind a tree.

_Leave, Arthur, you stuck-up prince. Go, I'm busy here._

"Merlin?"

"Sire?" To Merlin's credit, his voice was even and patient.

Arthur smacked him on the head.

"Oww!"

Arthur's face suddenly went hard, and he pointed a metal-covered finger at Merlin accusingly. "Pay attention next time, idiot."

_Pay attention?_ This from the man who had spent almost every day with Merlin for nearly two years and hadn't noticed that _the boy was a warlock?_ Sure, sure, it was better this way for everyone (especially Merlin), but still…! _Pay attention!_

Rather than answer glibly, as per usual, Merlin bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, Sire." _Anything if you'll just go!_

Finally Arthur went too, not noticing or caring that he was leaving Merlin behind. The warlock saw him shake his head and knew that he just couldn't get over the dagger-throwing bit. Merlin didn't know whether to be insulted or annoyed.

_Dolt,_ thought Merlin at Arthur's retreating back. Eventually Arthur disappeared from view in the thick foliage. Merlin waited another few seconds before turning to the (pretty) girl behind the tree.

"Come out," he ordered. "Who are you?"

She came out, smiling at him, innocent as a babe. "Xyla." She looked down and then up through her eyelashes.

Xyla? What sort of name was that?

"Merlin," he told her, extending his hand for shaking.

"I know," she giggled. "Anyone within two miles knows, Merlin." She took his hand. Her hand was soft but strong.

He smiled a little, too. "Arthur's pretty loud."

Her eyebrows came together. "But he isn't very nice to you."

"He's all right, really. He just…"

"Full of himself? Pig-headed? A total jerk?"

"You've met him, huh?"

She had to laugh at that. The scowl slipped off of her face.

Merlin's expression grew serious. "What are you doing here? Where'd you come from? How come you weren't afraid to…?" he trailed off meaningfully, looking at the dead creature.

She smiled and went over to the dead beast, pulling out Merin's dagger and returning it to him. He took it, a little disgusted.

She went and sat down, snuggling her back against a tree comfortably. "Well," she started, "I'm actually a magic woman, here to kill Uther for destroying all of my friends and family, but I liked you, so when I saw you in trouble I decided to help you out."

He stared at her for a second, and she stared back seriously. But then she laughed, a sweet sound.

"I'm joking, Merlin!"

Merlin sighed. "Oh. You better be careful making jokes like that, they can get you executed."

"Are you going to tell on me?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"No… I mean, you did save my life…"

She smiled, triumphant. "Truthfully," she lied, "I was on my way back home with my father, but he was killed by some bandits." Tears began to float in her eyes. "I got away on my horse, hoping to find away back to my village, but I guess I got lost."

Merlin's soft heart ached for her. He sat down next to her, wanting to comfort this strange girl but not knowing her well enough to put his arm over her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath and the tears disappeared.

"Arthur would make sure you got home. We can go…"

"No!"

Merlin looked at her, surprised at the outburst.

"Sorry, no. I've been following the group for about a day, and I thought about asking for help, but you know," she said with a blush, "that's an awful lot of _men_, if you understand me."

Merlin nodded, scratching his dark hair and looking at her, scrutinizing her. "Well, I want to help you. What can I do?"

She laughed. She laughed a lot. "You're sweet; I like you. My family is all gone now, so I was thinking I would just follow this group to Camelot and get work there."

Merlin responded, "What? No. Don't you know that people like you can get killed in Camelot? Besides that, you have no food or protection out here!"

She shook her head, smirking. "Come now, Merlin, it's only for a little while! You don't seriously imagine that no one with magic has ever hidden in Camelot, under King Uther's nose, do you?"

Well, what could _Merlin_ say to that?

"And Merlin, I can take care of myself." Her eyes flashed gold as though to prove it.

It took more convincing than that, though. Merlin gave a lot of reasons why she should consider doing something else, some stupid and some very practical. She argued the most stupid ones out with him until he was blue in the face, but when he gave a particularly good reason she would just sit there, silently.

And smile.

And smile wider, until even Merlin was convinced that he'd just said the most foolish thing ever heard on God's green earth.

Eventually she won the argument – Merlin couldn't do a whole lot to stop her. He gave up with a shrug, looking disapprovingly at her.

As he stood up to walk away in defeat, knowing Arthur would be looking for him, she stopped him by calling his name.

Hopeful, he turned around. Had Xyla changed her mind?

She smiled at him, a joyful, innocent smile. "Merlin, I like your ears. They're adorable. And I like you. You're adorable."

He could only look at her, dumbfounded.

"Until later, Merlin."

"Until…. Until later, Xyla."

She smiled again, then turned and left him standing there, a smile beginning at the corner of his lips and spreading over his whole face. He just couldn't decide what he thought about that girl.

_A/N: Whew! Finally! Okay, I know, not very exciting. Also, it was kind of… sudden. I'm sorry. I'm trying. This chapter is sort of a chapter just to fill in the blanks. I had to get her in there somehow. Please review and tell me if I'm being spot-on or over-critical of myself. _


	3. Chapter Two

_A/N: I changed my way of shifting the scenes. It's easier. I'll just put '_**Break**_' and you'll know. Cool?_

Chapter Two

Merlin couldn't get Xyla off his mind. He kept thinking about her, wondering how she was, not understanding why he hadn't so much as spotted her horse… Though, thinking about it, he realized that was probably the point of her staying behind the group.

The dark-haired warlock knew that most of his preoccupation with her came from the fact that _he'd left a woman in the woods alone!_ It went against every particle of his being. But she'd been so very convincing!

_Arthur would never have left her,_ said a mean little voice in his head.

_No, Arthur would've just executed her for being magic,_ he answered himself.

Nonetheless, he couldn't keep the worry from gnawing at his gut. Even Arthur noticed and commented.

"Merlin," he said in his most horribly sing-song voice. "What's got into you today?"

Merlin jerked out of his daze for the first time today. "Nothing."

Arthur smirked a little to himself, knowing that there was a way to turn that into a joke about there being 'nothing' in Merlin's head. He tried it, but it turned out so badly that even Merlin wouldn't dignify it with a response.

That worried Arthur slightly.

"Merlin, seriously, what is wrong with you?" barked Arthur.

The manservant shot him an annoyed look. "I was charged by a monster," he said, as though that explained everything.

And it must have explained things sufficiently for Arthur, because he nodded his blonde head and didn't speak to Merlin again for a while.

_It's amazing, _thought Merlin,_ but sometimes Arthur shows an understanding that's almost… human._

**Break**

Arthur backed off. Being charged by something dangerous was indeed a scary experience. It could even put a damper in the mood of his annoyingly chipper manservant.

Without meaning to, Arthur thought back to the Questing Beast. For days the Prince had just stayed in bed, half-dead, nearly conscious sometimes…

Arthur shivered.

So he could understand Merlin's silence, though he found that he missed Merlin's prattle terribly. What was life without some idiocy?

Feeling himself generous, Arthur decided to give Merlin until tonight, when he would expect his servant to once again be cheerful, helpful, and insulting. Or else.

**Break**

Merlin glanced around at the knights, making sure no one was watching him as he dropped behind the group. He knew he shouldn't. She probably wouldn't want him to, in case someone spotted her. But if he didn't check on Xyla soon, he would have some sort of breakdown. So he slowed his horse by agonizing inches, hoping not to draw attention.

He tried to be quiet. Of course, being Merlin, he just wasn't capable of moving inconspicuously during the daytime, and especially not while on a horse. Luckily, the Prince decided to let Merlin and his awkward attempts at quietly falling behind alone, and the knights all followed his lead. They all ignored the servant, smiling and laughing at each other, having a good time.

He kept slowing his horse, letting the knights get farther and farther ahead. After a while, he began looking around, trying to spot Xyla.

**Break**

Xyla watched Merlin, her head tilted to the side. He was looking for her. How sweet!

_I should probably let him keep looking. He'll think I left and not worry about me again._

That would be the best course of action. Then she'd be able to move about Camelot unhindered by Merlin, better able to plan her revenge on Uther. And besides, if he saw her, he'd try to talk her into joining the group. She didn't want to do that. She would lose the advantage of being unknown to Arthur. And it would be more days when she couldn't use any magic for fear of being caught.

She didn't plan to refrain from magic any longer than necessary. Just until Uther was dead.

Still. He was looking for her with that concerned expression on his face. How cute was that? How could she not go talk to him?

What was it her mother had said once?

"_Those who never follow an impulse, who never do anything for the joy of it, have less fun. And fun is important. It's like breathing or loving. You can't truly live without it."_

Her mother hadn't had enough fun in her life before Uther killed her, reflected Xyla.

**Break**

"It's funny how people ignore those that they really should be paying attention to," said the voice behind Merlin.

He twisted in his saddle, staring at the girl who was walking beside him.

"What?"

"I said, it's funny how people ignore those that they really should be paying attention to. Like you. You seem to be the most intelligent man around here, but no one notices. They can't even tell that you're keeping a secret. Or maybe you just act strange all the time?"

"I… guess I act strange all the time."

"You probably do. But I wasn't just referring to you. I meant everybody."

She smiled. Merlin wondered what they were even talking about. It seemed to make sense to her, but he was lost. He contemplated his response for a moment, and at last just said, "Where's your horse?"

"What horse?"

He glared at her. "You said you had a horse."

"Did I? I'm such a liar. Forgive me." She looked innocent.

Merlin's horse kept walking along at his slow pace, and Xyla had no trouble keeping up, so she walked beside him while he took a moment to slowly count to ten in his head.

"Xyla," he sighed.

"Merlin," she echoed.

"You didn't seriously expect me to let you walk all the way to Camelot, did you? It's days away!"

"Of course I didn't. That's why I didn't tell you." She smiled impishly at him.

"But you… Xyla, get up here."

"On the horse?"

"Yes, I can't speak to you while you're walking."

"I can walk as fast as any horse," she insisted, but obeyed anyway. Soon she was sitting behind him, holding onto his middle while he talked.

For a few minutes, she listened politely while he admonished her and once more insisted that she go and ask Arthur for help to get… wherever she wanted to go.

After he finished, there was silence. He turned and looked at her expectantly, expecting her to at least defend herself.

She said, "I love a man who takes charge."

He sighed in exasperation.

"I'm kidding, Merlin. You just don't understand. I don't want to do those things. I'd rather spend the days before I get to Camelot doing what I want. How I want. When I want. And I like walking."

"You can't expect to…"

"Yes I can! That's what you don't get!" she barked. Her eyes flashed gold suddenly, but there were no outward signs of her using magic. "I'm not a normal girl, Merlin. I'm _sihirli kisi. _I grew up magic! I live it and eat it and sleep it! I know how to use it and I know how to hide it. I can manage myself. Just let me do what I want!"

Her cheeks were pinker from her outburst, and her breathing harder. She had broken away from the cute tone she usually used, revealing her seriousness. Merlin looked at her solemnly for a moment longer, and then he nodded. But he didn't know if he believed her or not. There would be no moving her in this decision.

He smiled at her, but it felt fake. "I can help you find a job once we get there."

"Thank you, Merlin." And just like that, her usual silly smile was back.

They rode in silence for a moment, but she broke it. "If Arthur dislikes you as much as it seems, why do you work for him?"

Merlin stared at her in surprise. "He doesn't dislike me."

"He called you an idiot."

"That's just Arthur."

She looked skeptical. "Explain that."

Merlin grinned suddenly. "You want me to start from the beginning, or…?"

She nodded and laughed her clear, bell-like laugh. "We've got time."

He turned back to face front, and began the story of how he met Arthur. He started it when he came to Camelot looking for Gaius, but skipped every part where he used his magic. Therefore, he glossed over at least 50% of the story, but she didn't seem to notice.

Xyla, it turned out, was a wonderful audience. She gasped at the right parts (like when he was thrown in prison) applauded enthusiastically (when he stopped Arthur from being a bully) and went so far as to swat Merlin on back of his head (when he fought Arthur the second time…with a mace).

By the time he reached the dinner where he saved Arthur's life, he was breathless and had to stop. He looked back at her, wanting to see her reaction to the story.

She was grinning ear-to-ear. "I can most certainly see why you would want to save Arthur's life, then."

He laughed. "Instinct," he said evasively, because he hadn't told her about the Great Dragon.

"You're sweet. Tell me more, and explain how he came to actually like you."

So they filled the next few hours with heavily edited versions of his and Arthur's adventures. She didn't seem to question the odd jumps in the story where he had used magic, but didn't want to reveal it to her.

_Maybe I should tell her, _he thought to himself, but didn't act on his impulse. She couldn't even keep her own magic a secret from him, after all. Why should she keep his secret any better?

By the time he finished his stories, the sun was beginning to sink down in the sky, and he was amazed at his own ability to tell half the truth.

"That's all," he said to her. "Well, up until now. What do you think?"

Her eyebrows came together. "You're done? What happened to Morgana?"

Merlin shrugged. "We don't know. We haven't found her."

"Wow. That's awful."

"Yeah…" Truth be told, he missed Morgana, but he'd just as soon she was _never_ found. What would happen when she told Uther he was the one to poison her? He didn't even want to think about it.

"I'm sure you'll find her someday. You know something, Merlin?"

"What?"

"You're a lot braver than you appear to be." She'd heard the sincerity in his words when he told her the story. Liars have a tendency to be able to pick out other liars, and so she knew that most of what he told her was the dead truth.

Most of it. She wondered at all the holes in his stories.

He laughed. "Just do what I have to."

"You're underappreciated."

"Nah…" He was blushing. No one had ever told him that before, not even Gaius, who knew everything he'd done. Not even his mother. They'd congratulated him, been proud of him, and told him (once or twice) to keep up the good work. No one had ever said he wasn't appreciated enough. They'd never suggested that he deserved better.

But maybe he did.

Then he remembered that the only times anyone came close to discovering the great things he'd done, he always ended up being arrested. Perhaps being underappreciated was the best thing for him…

"Really," she was saying. "You are."

He gave another nervous chuckle and stopped his horse. "I should get back. Arthur's probably wondering if I got myself killed by something dangerous."

"Okay," she said, and in the fading light he could see her start to get off the horse. But then she stopped.

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"I like you an awful lot." And she kissed him on the cheek.

Completely thrown, he could only watch as she slipped off the horse and disappeared into the woods. Then he pulled himself together and went back to the knights.

Arthur noticed that his manservant seemed a lot more cheerful than he had been earlier that same day.

**Break**

It continued like this all the way back to Camelot: In the morning he would stick with the group and do whatever he was called on to do. Arthur kept him busy even out here in the middle of nowhere. As the evening approached, he would fall back and talk to Xyla. They got on wonderfully together. She loved his stories, and he liked to hear about her.

She didn't talk much about herself, but he gathered that her mother, father, and only brother had been killed awhile back in separate accidents, her father's being the most recent.

He told her about his mother and friend Will, who died, ironically while saving Prince Arthur. When she asked about his father, he told her he'd met him briefly, but he died. He didn't mention the name of his father.

Every evening, as he started to leave, she would take his hand and tell him that she liked him a lot. On the last night before they reached Camelot, she changed her words.

"I love you."

She said it with a friendly smile and a sisterly push, as a good friend might. But his heart still stopped beating for a moment when she said it, and he couldn't keep the silly grin off his face.

"_I love you,"_ she'd said.

_A/N: I know not much happened, but it should start getting good by next chapter. Thank you to those who are still reading, and I will update next week. Tell me what you think of my OC, will you? _

_Please review, or karma will get you. I mean it. _

_If you like my Merlin story, I have one other. It's a one-shot and you can find it on my profile if you care to look. _


	4. Chapter Three

_A/N: Sooner than expected! Don't question it. Embrace it. _

_I would especially like to thank __**ILoveThesePeople**__, for giving me some incredible advice on Xyla and her character. I hope you especially review and tell me if I fixed the problem. _

Chapter Three

_Xyla fell to her knees, dry heaving. _

I'm going to be sick, oh, I'm going to be sick…_ Her stomach rolled about in her middle. She felt hollow on the inside, but in an aching way. _

_Clutching at the dead leaves on the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut as the tears escaped from her eyelids. _

No! No! No! This isn't happening! How…?

_She sobbed, feeling her body shake with the pain… the awful pain. Why did this have to happen? _

_Her eyes opened, and she discovered something that shocked her, but didn't help her stop crying. _

_She wasn't Xyla. No, she was someone else entirely, and whoever it was felt an almost unreal grief. That person's heart was breaking. She was…_

_She was Merlin. _

**Break**

Xyla sat straight up, driven to awareness. A nightmare. She'd had a nightmare. What about?

Her fingers came up to her face, touching it. For some reason, the features of her face were wet. Why were they wet?

She felt sluggish and slow, unable to understand. When she brought her finger to her mouth and touched her tongue, tasting salt, she was just more confused. Why was she crying?

Gradually her mind cleared, and she was able to focus on her dream. It had been about Merlin, she remembered. He was upset. He was torn up from the inside. Why?

Xyla rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, rolling over onto her stomach. The ground smelled nice, like fall. The leaves crunched when she moved, telling her that she wasn't as alone in the world as it might seem. She wriggled her body, making herself comfortable, and tried again to remember.

_Okay. Merlin was upset about something. And I was Merlin, feeling his grief. But it was my fault, at the same time. It was my fault because…_

_Because I killed Arthur and Uther. And he didn't want me to. _

Xyla felt her heart sink. Would Merlin truly be so very upset when she killed the Pendragons? She hoped not. She loved Merlin.

But she wanted her revenge on Uther.

Couldn't she have both?

No, not if their deaths would effect Merlin like that. He'd never forgive her.

The ground suddenly felt less comfortable. Actually, she didn't particularly _want_ revenge. The thought of killing anyone made her feel dizzy. But she _needed_ revenge. Xyla needed revenge for Kushi and herself, two girls left without their families. She needed it because her heart was shadowed with hate, and only killing Uther, only making him leave the world forever, would make that hate go away. And Arthur was just as bad, wasn't he?

Merlin would be hurt. Whatever hurt Merlin hurt her, though. She'd been watching these past days, and every time Arthur insulted Merlin, she was livid with anger. Every time Merlin fell down, her heart tightened in anxiety.

Death was a lot bigger than the pain you had when you fell to the ground. Would having her revenge really do that to the dark-haired man? Would it really tear him up so completely?

Why would it? Uther was a monster. Arthur was just as bad.

Tears started to come to Xyla's eyes, but she blinked them back. She'd already cried once tonight, and that was enough.

An image of the shattered Merlin floated into her mind.

This would just not do. No, Xyla wouldn't lie here all night and contemplate the effect her revenge would have on a servant boy. She just wouldn't.

Rather, she would get up and go ask said servant boy.

For a horrible moment, she wondered what she would do if Merlin cared about Uther. Would she still go ahead with her revenge, and let Merlin become that broken-hearted person in her dream? Could she?

Yes, she thought she would. She had to be strong. Even if it meant she lost Merlin. The hatred in her had to be banished at all costs. That was the most important thing! But… could she let Merlin hurt so badly?

_Please, Merlin,_ she begged. _Don't be difficult. Please just… just don't care for once. Don't break my heart like that, you stupid boy!_

**Break**

In his sleep, Merlin felt the magic spread through him. Someone was putting a spell on him. Why? He should get up and ask… or fight…

Merlin found that he couldn't get up. He was only half-awake, and his body did not seem to want to function properly. It was all like some dream. He cracked his eyes open, seeing the world in a semi-conscious state.

"Merlin," hissed someone.

He yawned. Who was that? Oh, his brain was working so slowly. Must be the spell. Yes, that would be it…

"Merlin," repeated the voice.

"What?" he groaned.

"Do you care about Arthur?"

"Huh?" What was the voice talking about?

"I said, do you care about Arthur?"

_Funny question,_ he decided. Of course he didn't. Arthur was an annoying dollop-head. Which, he had to admit to himself, made him care about Arthur just a little more.

"Yeah," he replied, "Of course I care about Arthur. A lot." Then he wondered if it was Arthur he was talking to. But no, that rang false. This was someone else. But someone he recognized. Why couldn't he just wake up?

_The spell,_ he reminded himself in a daze.

"How much?"

He wanted to tell this voice the truth. He should tell the truth. _Must be part of the spell._

"Like a brother," he said. "I'd die for him."

**Break**

Xyla's breath caught in her throat.

"_I'd die for him."_

Not by Xyla's hand, he wouldn't.

"Why?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Why do you care so much?"

"He's a good man," mumbled the almost-sleeping Merlin. "He'll be a great king. And he's my friend."

Merlin looked a lot younger in his sleep, very different, but he was still the same trusting, kindly Merlin. No wonder she thought she might love him. He was so much better than she was.

"Not all the rules of Camelot are just," she said past the lump in her throat, leaning close to the man under the blanket. "He hates magic."

Merlin appeared to be trying to wake up fully, but to no avail. He remained in his magic-induced stupor. "He won't always," yawned the man with the cute ears. "He needs to… learn… still." He was mumbling, and Xyla had to come so close to hear him that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. It tingled, causing her to nearly tremble. She forced her mind away from him and back to her job.

"You think he can learn?"

"I'll teach him."

Now that was odd. Who was this peasant boy to decide that he should be Arthur's teacher? What was so special about him? She nearly asked, but stopped herself. She didn't have long before the spell wore off. If she was still around when it did, he might wake up fully. And that would be awkward.

"How would you feel if he died?"

Merlin's face twisted in sudden pain, as though she'd driven a dull knife deep into him. He jerked a little, as though trying to get up. His lips curled away from his teeth as he started to answer.

With a heavy heart, she stopped him, not wanting to hear him say the words. "Don't answer. I understand." She reached out and smoothed his creased forehead, hoping to make him forget the question. His head was soft and warm.

He settled back down, and he calmed down.

She bit her lip, preparing herself for the next question. The darkness carried her whisper, so low she could barely hear it: "What about Uther, Merlin? How do you feel about him?"

Merlin looked troubled. "He… he's not fair…"

Her face lit up. "Go on."

"He hates magic. He's… mean…" Merlin looked worried. "But he's _trying_…"

She snorted. "Not very hard."

"I… don't really _like_ him."

Xyla smiled. Perhaps he would be okay if she just took out her revenge on Uther? Her heart suddenly felt lighter. She wouldn't have to break her Merlin's heart.

"But Arthur loves him," he continued. "If he died…" Merlin yawned again, still looking upset. She could understand. He was so kind-hearted that he wanted to see the best in everyone, even in that tyrant Uther. "If he died, Arthur would be sad."

She nearly snorted again. She may be willing to spare Arthur for Merlin's sake, but to spare Uther for Arthur's sake for Merlin's sake… That was going too far.

"Is that why you saved Uther's life before?" she asked Merlin.

Merlin yawned again. "Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't just let him die, could I? I had to do something…"

He did? Xyla wouldn't have. But then, her heart was not as soft as Merlin's.

_Then again,_ she mocked herself, _you fell for this boy after only a few days._ _You can't exactly boast a heart of stone._

She laughed a little to herself, her sense of humor beginning to win out. It always did in the end.

Merlin's eyes flickered open suddenly. "Xyla?" he asked sleepily.

_Oops. Spell wore off! _

"Shh, Merlin,"she whispered."Go back to sleep."

"What? What are you…?"

"No, dear, go to bed. Shhhh." He tried to sit up, but she gently pushed him back down onto the ground. "I said, go to sleep, Merlin."

Slowly his eyes drifted shut again, and his breathing became more deep and relaxed. He was asleep. She smiled to herself.

"Goodnight, Merlin," she said, kissing his forehead gently. "Until tomorrow. And you have nothing to worry about. I promise not to kill that precious prince that you're so fond of."

She stood and slipped away into the night, ready to sleep with no nightmares. After all, Merlin knew the Prince better than she. Perhaps there was hope for him. She felt no anger, no need for revenge towards this Prince Arthur. He had not killed her family.

And maybe Kushi would also be pleased with this change of plans.

_Thank you, Merlin,_ she thought. _You might not make things difficult after all. _

How wrong she was!

**Break**

When Merlin awoke, he was awfully confused. He kept thinking that he'd had the oddest dream… but couldn't remember what it was.

_It was about Xyla,_ he recalled, and blushed slightly. It had probably been a good dream, then.

"_Merlin_," sighed an annoyed Arthur, standing over him.

"What?" he asked, looking up.

"Can't you ever get up on time?"

"Uhhhh…" He shook his head tiredly, trying to clear it.

Suddenly a chilly waterfall splashed onto his head, effectively waking Merlin all the way up.

"Stop that!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. "I was up, okay?"

"You are now," said Arthur unfeelingly, putting away his canteen.

Merlin glared, wiping the water from his eyes. Stupid Prince.

"C'mon," said Arthur, finally smiling. "We're only a few hours from Camelot! We can go sleep in our own beds."

"You mean after I finish the insanely long list of chores you'll have for me, then I can sleep, right?" he quipped.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Of course. After that."

Merlin sighed but smiled a little.

The warlock looked back at the trees around them, and for a moment he thought he saw a slim figure, clothed in a blousy white shirt. Suddenly his smile turned to an inward groan. He had forgotten. Now he would have to help Xyla find her way around Camelot, find a job, and hide her magic.

And this was Xyla. She wasn't exactly inconspicuous by nature.

Couldn't he just stay in the woods forever?

_A/N: Okay, this chapter was a little more intense, almost on the border of fan-girlishness. Don't hate me. I hope you enjoyed. _


	5. Chapter Four

_A/N: Well I am very satisfied with the reviews I got last chapter! Yay! Happy writer! Okay, I know most of you would consider that note a little unnecessary, but what can I say? I thought I was falling behind and the compulsive part of me rebelled. So here's the next chapter. Enjoy. _

_Let me apologize in advance for Xyla's blonde moment, as well as any times she may seem out of character. She's back with Kushi, so she's going to act differently._

Chapter Four

The cry echoed off the sides of the palace looming above them, filling the courtyard. "Kushi!"

A servant girl dressed in an orange dress, her hair tied up, stopped in her tracks, spilling the contents of her arms onto the floor. "Oh!" she yelped, while another girl in front of her turned around.

A third girl came running up, mumbling apologies. "I'm sorry!" she insisted, helping the girl in orange pick up the bundles of cloth. This girl was wearing a white shirt and trousers.

"No, no, Xyla, it's fine; it's fine," insisted Kushi, taking clothes back from her friend. "They're dirty."

"Are you okay, Kushi?" asked the girl who had turned around.

Xyla hadn't noticed her before, but now she stared. Why, this girl was beautiful! But… but…

"Fine," insisted Kushi. "My friend just startled me."

The girl looked curious. "Who is your friend? I've never seen her around."

Kushi smiled. "She's foreign around here, just like me. Xyla, say hi to Gwen."

Gwen offered a hand, giving a friendly smile. Xyla looked at it for a moment. Should she shake it? Would it hurt? Probably not, she decided. She shook the girl's hand, and when she pulled away she checked her hand. It was unchanged.

"Hello, Xyla," said Gwen, cheerfully. "That's a strange name."

Xyla cocked her head to the side. "Gwen isn't?" But she smiled when she said it, letting Gwen know that she wasn't being harsh.

Gwen laughed. "Guinevere, actually. Gwen's the shortened version."

"Oh."

"Are you going to want a job at the castle too?"

Xyla shrugged. "Probably. I have a friend who says he's willing to help me find a job."

Gwen beamed, and Xyla guessed she was really pleased. "That's wonderful. I might see you around, then. I have to go, Kushi, and I'll see you later."

Kushi shifted her bundle of clothes to one hip so she could wave. "Bye, Gwen. Until later, then."

Gwen walked away, Xyla still staring after her. And then Xyla stared at her hand.

Kushi watched her. "What's wrong with you?"

Looking up, Xyla gasped, "Didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?"

"Well…! That girl, Gwen! There's something wrong with… Was she born like that? Does it hurt?" Was Gwen disfigured? Xyla hoped not, or else she had probably just embarrassed the girl.

Kushi looked at her like she was crazy, but then the light dawned. "You're talking about her skin."

"It's dark!"

Kushi shook her head. "Oh, Xyla, I love you, but you're so stupid! Yes, she was born like that; no, it doesn't hurt! Some people just have darker skin. Does everyone you know have the same skin tone?"

Xyla felt a blush creeping along her face. Only Kushi could make her feel so stupid. "Of course not, but it isn't my fault you get out more than I do! I've been stuck with the Group my entire life!"

Kushi hissed, "Shut up! Honestly!" She looked pointedly around, trying to emphasize that someone could overhear.

Xyla was instantly contrite, but didn't want to show it. She rolled her eyes. Now that she was sure she hadn't insulted someone who'd lived through an accident that had something to do with tar, bandits, and angry kings (which was the scenario she had been cooking up in her head), she felt more like her old self.

"So," said Xyla, determined to act like that had never happened, "What have you learned?"

Kushi grinned. "For one thing, not to talk out loud in public. Elsie!"

A blonde girl who was walking nearby stopped and looked at Kushi expectantly.

"Do me a favor?" asked Kushi, and Elsie looked worried.

"I was done for the day, heading home…" whined Elsie.

"It'll only take a minute! My friend's in town, if you could just run these down to the laundry room…" Kushi pleaded, and the fresh-faced girl gave in.

"Fine, but you owe me!"

"Certainly. Come, Xyla." Kushi turned and walked away from the palace, Xyla following along behind.

"You certainly have a lot of friends," said Xyla to Kushi, catching up.

"Tons," answered Kushi nonchalantly. "I needed them. Where do you think I got the dress?"

Xyla grinned. Kushi was the master at making friends quickly. "A true friend," said the brown-haired _sihirli kisi _wisely, "to you, is the one which you can take the most from and use to your own advantage."

Kushi flipped her black hair disdainfully, but she knew her friend was kidding. "Of course," she said. "Because you've done _so_ much for me since I met you."

"I have. We're here, aren't we?"

"I shall not dignify that comeback with a response," said Kushi with a roll of her eyes. The plan had not been Xyla's at all.

"Too late. So where are we going exactly?"

"Someplace we can talk."

**Break**

Merlin smiled as he looked around Camelot. Ah, home. It felt good to be back! He'd missed all the now-familiar sights. Servants scurried this way and that, bowing respectfully when they saw Arthur. A blacksmith – not Gwen's dad, unfortunately – hammered at his anvil, glaring as though it had insulted him. The houses in this part of town stood neatly on either side of the street, shabby but comfortable. The castle stood over them all, seemingly watching for any signs of magic.

Who would dare think about using magic with such a furious palace standing there?

Merlin grinned to himself, his horse walking behind Arthur's. It hardly ever bothered him that he was breaking the law every day. Now it was just a part of normal living. This was just a part of normal living.

Except for one thing: in his normal life, he wasn't keeping his eyes peeled for a certain pretty magic girl... that he seemed to have misplaced. He hadn't seen Xyla this morning, hadn't seen her when they entered Camelot, hadn't seen her since.

He thought that she could take care of herself – and of course she probably could – but he couldn't stop wondering where she was. Was she okay, or lost, or…?

_I'm getting way too attached to this girl._

_And why shouldn't I get attached? _He argued with himself. _Why not?_

Realizing that his grin was slipping off his face, he made an effort to smile again. If she was lost, she'd be able to find him eventually. She knew he was the Prince's servant. She knew where the Prince lived.

**Break**

After finishing an outline of Uther's day (when he got up, when he ate, when he slept), Kushi asked Xyla for any information she had picked up.

"A lot," she said, looking around the dark alley they were standing in.

"Like…?"

"Like… um..."

_For Merlin, _she told herself. _Do it for him. Pretend you're talking to him. That's so easy. _

"I don't think we should kill Arthur."

Kushi looked surprised. "What?"

"Well, I mean, why should we? You like him, you said as much in the tree, right?"

Kushi blushed, too. She remembered.

"And then, Merlin said…"

"_You spoke to Merlin?" _gasped Kushi, her eyes narrowing.

Xyla winced. That was the part she'd been nervous about mentioning. Kushi would kill her dead…

"Yessss…" she mumbled. "I didn't mean to…"

Kushi closed her eyes. "I'm going to kill you, Xyla dear, unless you explain this very instant. I understand thinking he's cute – no, I don't, actually! Think of those ears! – but talking to him? What did you say? How much does he know?"

"Nothing!" insisted Xyla. "Well, that I saved his life, that I'm magic, and I'm going to need to find him soon because he'll be looking for me… But, by all that's sacred, that's all!" cried poor Xyla, because Kushi really did look ready to murder her. "It really is; I fed him some cock-and-bull-story about being lost or some such, and he swallowed it."

Kushi did not look relieved, but she nodded, accepting that which was done was done. There was nothing she could do about it… Except kill Xyla, but she didn't really want to.

"Very well, very well. Continue with the story," she sighed, rubbing the sides of her head in a circular motion as if to fight off the headache.

"So I was talking to him, and he was telling me… You know, Arthur's not so bad. He's… just…" What had Merlin said? "He can learn not to hate magic, and… And besides, he didn't kill our families!"

Kushi looked at her, head tilted to the side, trying to decide if she was crazy. "I thought we agreed he was just as bad as his father?"

"We were wrong. He's got a good heart and he's fair."

"Merlin said this."

"Yes." Well, not in so many words.

"And you believe Merlin?"

"He wasn't lying."

"How do you know?"

Xyla had the grace to look embarrassed. "The point is, I don't think it's fair of us. And we want to be fair, right?"

Kushi leaned back against a building, folding her arms. The silence stretched on, not even filled by the sounds of nearby people – they were too far away from the square for that.

Xyla tried not to look uncomfortable.

"What aren't you telling me?" asked Kushi finally, not smiling, not giggling for once.

"Nothing."

"Xyla."

"_Nothing_!"

More silence.

"Okay, fine," barked Xyla, tears filling in her eyes, her voice soft. "I went and did a stupid, stupid thing and fell in love with that stupid Merlin, okay? And Arthur's his friend and if I killed him I…" She choked on her own words and fell silent, terrified that she would begin to cry. Looking at the ground, she blinked away the tears.

Kushi groaned and reached out, hugging her friend. "Poor Xyla. I leave you for a week and you fall in love with one of the worst possible people. I wouldn't even think it _was_ possible."

Xyla laughed miserably. "It is." She pushed Kushi away, ignoring her comfort. "I'm fine, okay? I know that it's not going to happen. Our families come first. Revenge was the original plan and we're going to have it, even if I leave Merlin behind. I'm okay with it. I'm not head over heels, I'm just… you know…"

"A rotten liar?"

"I just don't want to hurt him so bad. I don't want him to hate me, and he likes Arthur, so…" she shrugged.

Kushi looked her up and down. "You didn't believe a word of your own speech."

"Merlin's not the priority," snapped Xyla, but she knew it was true. She was harboring secret dreams… Dreams where Merlin was with her every day, and both were happy. But Merlin wasn't her priority now.

Kushi gave in. "Okay. Okay, we'll leave Arthur alone. Who knows? Maybe he'll be a great king. But Uther has to go." She looked a little uncomfortable at the last sentence.

"Of course," said Xyla. She smiled.

"Xyla… there's no need… no need for you to get a job."

Perplexed at the sudden change of subject, Xyla looked at Kushi. "Huh?"

"There won't be that much time."

There was another moment of quiet.

Xyla swore under her breath suddenly, the ugly word seeming to shatter the silence. "You mean you picked a time?"

"Yes. Tomorrow night."

Xyla looked a little ill. Two days… two days and they would be avengers… or, depending on how you looked at it, murderers.

Gathering her wits about her, Xyla asked for information, and Kushi began to explain.

**Break**

"Afternoon, Merlin."

Merlin turned around.

"There you are! Where have you been all day?" he asked, nearly dropping the bottle Gaius had asked him to deliver.

Xyla shrugged, coming up to walk beside him. "Last I heard, I had a cousin in Camelot, so I went to look for him," she lied.

"Find him?"

"No," said Xyla solemnly. "He was killed in the dragon attack several months ago."

"I'm sorry," apologized Merlin, beginning to understand why she looked more morose than her usual annoyingly playful self.

"Wasn't your fault," she mumbled, shrugging, and didn't seem him falter.

It was his fault, he thought. _Of course, she can't know that._

"I never actually met him," she went on, making Merlin feel a shade less guilty.

"So, you were looking for him all day?" he asked.

She shot him a funny look. "No, the rest of it I went to see my evil counterpart about how to destroy Camelot."

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "You know, Xyla, I never know if you are kidding or not…"

"Assume I am," she told him, smiling a little, but her eyes sad.

Merlin changed his course, heading away from the castle.

"Wait, where are we going, Merlin?"

"To the lower town. I figure, while you're here and while I'm free, why not start your tour of the city?"

"You're free?"

"Sure," he said, wondering what Arthur was going to throw at him for being late and hoping it wasn't going to be sharp. "Besides, it won't take long."

And he deserved a fourth of a day off every once in a while.

_A/N: This is my longest fanfic chapter, if not of all, then at least for this one. Still, I didn't get to the part I was so excited about writing. It isn't my fault; the girls just took so danged long to have their little conversation. Since I'm behind where I'd like to be, I might try to update this week __**and**__ this weekend! Please review and tell me if this chapter was awful. _

_I'm sorry if the action seems to be lacking, but I'm the type that likes to set the stage successfully and then move on to the action. I hope it isn't boring! Please review!_


	6. Chapter Five

_A/N: I want to thank everyone who, BUT the real shout out for this chapter goes to __**Haylis**__ with the uncanny predicting ability. You know what that means, __**Haylis**__! Enjoy the story. _

_What I would really like would be to have 20 reviews by the end of the story. 30 if possible! Let's see if we can do it! (There should be about…3, 4 more chapters.)_

_WARNING: There's a minor suggestive little comment, but it's pretty easy to just look over it. I don't want to change my whole story rating, though, because other than some violence in later chapters, there's nothing 'bad' in this story. Do you think I should change it to T?_

Chapter Five

Arthur glowered at his suddenly dirty floor, wondering when it had gotten so messed up. Hadn't he only gotten back this afternoon? It was probably something Merlin did, he decided, completely serious.

Honestly, there were times when he wondered why he kept Merlin around. (Luckily they were eclipsed by the times that he_ knew_ why he kept Merlin around; the servant was the closest thing he had to a friend.)

"Merlin!" he called, wanting his manservant to come pick up.

There was no answer. No smiling, annoying boy appeared.

"_Merlin_! Where are you?" cried Arthur, turning a complete circle. Where was the idiot? Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Merlin for hours. The man had disappeared not long after Arthur ate lunch…

Arthur gave his room another irritated look and sighed. "Probably skiving off work," he muttered, then paused to think about it. "Or maybe he got himself arrested again… No, I doubt it…"

He shook his head, still muttering darkly, and stalked out of his room, stepping over his armor in a pile on the floor.

Out in the castle hall, lit with candles, he walked past Gwen.

He considered not stopping, but he couldn't help himself. Pausing, he called her name. "Guinevere!"

She turned, her lavender skirt swishing about her legs. "Hello, Sire. Can I help you?"

What should he say? He just wanted her attention? "Where are you going?"

She smiled at him. "Home for the day, unless you need me to help with something…? I'm mostly free these days you know," she added.

He did know. Morgana had been gone for nearly a year, and under normal circumstances Gwen would certainly would have been let go. There were two reasons she was still there: one, Uther wasn't willing to give up on Morgana, and two, Arthur had promised Gwen when her father was killed that she could always be sure of having a job here.

"I was just wondering if you've seen Merlin," he said. "He's gone again."

She laughed. "I haven't seen him since before you left Camelot more than a week ago! Check at Gaius's, though, he might be there."

Arthur nodded. "I will, thank you, Guinevere." Turning away from her, he brushed her hand quickly against his own. He walked away a little quicker than was necessary. The gesture had seemed almost accidental, but anyone who saw Arthur's and Gwen's red faces would know better.

**Break**

Merlin sat down heavily. "Whew! Camelot in a fourth of a day; aren't you exhausted?"

Xyla shook her head, smiling. She was, if anything, bubblier than ever. Her guilty thoughts had faded, and the fresh air and time spent with Merlin made her slightly giddy. She plopped down next to him where he sat carefully on Gaius's table, not saying anything but looking ready to bounce off the walls.

Merlin immediately stood and began pacing the room. They were in the physician's chambers, but Gaius was not here at the moment, which is why Merlin thought it would be the perfect place to end the tour. Now that their excursion was over, Merlin felt real-world concerns spring up in his mind, demanding to be settled.

Without thinking, Xyla stood when he did, watching him pace. Almost immediately, he sat back down. She stared at him in surprise for several moments—and sat down. He stood up. Curious, she stood up; he sat. Amused, she sat down again and watched him jump to his feet and begin to pace the room.

Laughter burst out of her, filling the room with the pleasant sound. Merlin woke from his daze and stared at her, confusion on his face.

"What?" he asked suspiciously, not getting the joke.

She grinned at him. "Nothing; you're just so jumpy. What _is_ the matter? You were fine a moment ago…"

Merlin sighed. "I just remembered—it's nighttime."

"Yes, it is. So?"

"You don't have anywhere to stay."

"I don't? I thought I could stay here…?"

Merlin shook his head, still pacing. "Gaius, that's the court physician… this is his place. I stay in a room in the back. A rather small room."

"Oh. Well, what are we going to do?"

"I was going to ask Gwen if she'd let you stay at her place. She's a friend of mine. It's too late now, though I can ask her tomorrow. I'm sure she'd be glad to help."

Gwen? Xyla remembered her; the_ sihirli_ _kisi _felt suddenly irritated. She was the beautiful girl with the dark skin. Just how beautiful? Merlin said her name with great affection. _Is she more beautiful than I am, this friend of Merlin's? _she wondered. _I don't know… I mean, I thought her nose was a little big, wasn't it? Such a skinny thing, too. And that hypocritical little helpful smile. Surely every one sees through that. _

_I wonder if Merlin does. Surely he does. There's that nose…_

Pleased with her conclusion, Xyla smiled.

"I could stay out here," she offered, trying to be helpful.

Merlin clasped his hands behind his back. "No; this is where Gaius stays."

"Could _you _sleep out here?"

"Not without Gaius asking questions… and you know how magic is looked upon in Camelot; we don't want him finding out about you." _Yet,_ he added in his head. He was planning on telling the physician everything, just as soon as he figured out everything for himself.

"Oh. Well, what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know," growled a frustrated Merlin. He looked around the room, his eyes falling over countless herbs and medicines, but no idea came to him.

Xyla looked at the ground, her mind still dwelling on Gwen. (_Even if her nose wasn't so big, who likes a really skinny girl?_)

Merlin continued, "And there isn't room for both of us in my room…"

Face still pointed downward, Xyla cast Merlin a sharp look through her eyelashes.

He noticed and blushed. "I mean… just thinking out loud… just… You know what, forget I even said that."

She grinned. A mischievous little thought flew into her head, making her nearly laugh again. Spying a chance to have a little fun with Merlin (and not one to pass up a chance at a joke), she innocently inquired, "Why?"

"Huh?"

"I said, why?"

"Because… there isn't."

"You know, Merlin," she said silkily, changing the subject and smothering her smile beneath a straight-faced mask, "I don't mind if you just go about your business during the day, and I'll hang around here, and then, when you come home at night –" She played with his sleeve, rubbing the cloth with her fingers.

"Most certainly not!" he cried, cutting her off and blushing red.

"– I'll find somewhere to stay, like this Gwen's… Wait, what do you mean?" A look of total innocence and confusion played over her features while Merlin looked mortified. "What did you think I was just going to say?" she asked.

He glared at her, but she persisted in looking sweetly bewildered. Coyness did not become her, he decided, finding himself blushing furiously.

"Nothing," he mumbled, turning away and facing the door.

"No really, what did you think I was about to say?"

He didn't answer, just pressed his lips tightly together.

Taking mercy on him, she let herself laugh. "I'm joking, Merlin; honestly, what kind of girl do you think I am?"

His only response was to look slightly insulted. She gave in a little more. "Okay, okay, my fault. I'm sorry, Merlin. I was just fooling. Don't look so much like you want to kill me… The look on your face, though!" She laughed again, shaking her head.

Even though he was embarrassed, Merlin felt a slight smile creeping on his face. Her joy was just so infectious—and looking around at the assorted glass jars in the room, he knew Gaius didn't have a single cure for that kind of infection.

"Stop playing," he ordered her seriously. "I'm trying to think."

"No, you're trying to laugh. Admit it!" She turned him around so he was facing her.

For the first time, Merlin understood why Arthur occasionally threw things at his manservant; that knowing little grin had to be the most aggravating expression a human could wear. Merlin made a silent promise never to give Arthur that smile again.

Merlin couldn't help smiling back at her.

Xyla caught her breath. She'd never seen him wear that smile before, one of sweet, childlike happiness, beaming like the young sun on a winter's day. It was so totally and completely lovable… Her heart skipped a beat. She just couldn't help herself.

Suddenly her arms found their way around his neck; all thoughts of Kushi and revenge were unimportant, banished from her mind as she pulled Merlin closer to her. Then she kissed him, firmly on the mouth.

Merlin was too shocked to move, too happy to pull away, and he was kissing her back. She was so close to him… it felt right that way. He was at peace at that moment; at the same time, he was burning with fire.

The kiss was innocent but strangely determined, as though she was saying something to him: "_Here it is: the truth. I love you. I love you and I'm happy with you…"_

_She loves me, _thought Merlin. His arms went around her back, and he hugged her close to him, not breaking the kiss. He wished the moment would continue forever, but he thought he might explode if it didn't end now…

The door opened and someone stepped into the room.

Merlin and Xyla froze.

_Well, this isn't a comprising situation or anything… Kissing a strange girl…_ He pulled his face back, but his arms were still around her. He turned to look at Gaius, an explanation on his lips, but instead found himself facing Arthur. _Oh, man._

Xyla eyed Arthur distastefully. Intruder. She wasn't discomfited in the least, but Merlin was; it was obvious by the way he stiffened.

Reluctantly, she pulled back from Merlin, hating Arthur.

Merlin stood there uselessly, looking idiotic, and he was blushing again.

Arthur stood in the doorway, stunned, his mouth open in an "O" shape. He looked at his red servant, took in the pretty girl wearing pants, and looked back to Merlin.

No one spoke for a while.

Finally, Arthur recovered sufficiently to say, "I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am," politely. "I, uh, just need Merlin."

"_More than I do?" _she was seriously tempted to say, but bit her tongue. Instead, she shrugged sullenly. "Of course, Sire."

Arthur glanced at the dumbstruck servant. "Coming, Merlin?"

"What? Oh, yeah…" Merlin shuffled forward, but Xyla caught his arm.

"Wait! What about…?"

"Oh…" Merlin looked around as though for inspiration, and told her, "You go ahead and take my room… I just remembered, I've someplace to stay."

"Are you sure?"

He lied through his teeth and gave an affirmative answer. Looking guilty and uncomfortable, she nodded acceptance.

After one last shared smile, Merlin headed for the door, feeling her brown eyes on his back.

**Break**

By the time they reached the hall to Arthur's room, Arthur was feeling much more like himself. "Taking time off, Merlin?"

"No," said Merlin shortly, a little irritated at Arthur.

"Where were you all day?"

"Showing my friend where everything was in Camelot."

"Is she new around here?"

"Yes," said Merlin, smiling to himself.

Usually Arthur would make a snide remark in this situation, laughing at Merlin for having a girl. But something made him hold his tongue: the thought of Gwen. Remembering the feelings he'd experienced in this very hall that afternoon, he was less inclined to pick on Merlin.

Really, it wasn't so strange that the manservant had a girl. It was kind of surprising that he'd never had one before, actually.

"What's her name?" asked Arthur.

Merlin didn't respond.

At last Arthur sighed. "You don't have any place to spend the night, do you?"

Merlin looked up quickly. "Yes, I do."

"Liar," laughed Arthur, amused. "What, are you just going to spend the night on your own doorstep?"

"No, I…" Actually, that had been the plan.

Arthur ignored the manservant and pushed the door to his room open, stepping in. "Merlin, would you build up the fire? It's cold in here."

"Sure," said Merlin warily, going over to the fireplace, waiting for Arthur to say something else.

Instead, Arthur went off on another, seemingly irrelevant tack. "You know something? It's strange how many rooms in this castle aren't filled."

"What?" Merlin's eyebrows drew together in confusion. What was Arthur talking about?

"I was just noticing that today, actually. Like the room down the hall, for example. No one stays in it, ever. We don't even use it for visiting nobles anymore, because it isn't fancy enough."

"That's… great, Arthur…"

"It isn't even locked… it's never checked, only cleaned once a week…"

It clicked. Merlin looked up at Arthur and saw the prince raising his eyebrows pointedly. Suddenly a wide grin split Merlin's face as he understood what Arthur was getting at.

"Thanks, Arthur," he said.

Arthur pretended to be confused. "For what? I don't know what you're talking about, but hurry up, Merlin. I want to go to bed."

Merlin nodded.

**Break**

_I'm not sleeping tonight, _thought Merlin suddenly as he stared out the window of the unused room. There was too much floating about his head.

_I'm in love. _

It was a warming thought, making him feel like the sun had just come up and it was going to be a glorious day… But at the same time, it was terrifying. Love was such a risk. Merlin had been in love, years ago, and he remembered the pain, the raw, raw pain. He couldn't even tell anyone about his grief then, because she had been a secret.

That had hurt him so much that he'd never wanted to be in love again. But now, years later, he began to rethink his decision.

Yes, there was risk. But perhaps it was worth it. Maybe it was worth being in love, even if it all came crashing down around your ears.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But then again, did he get a choice? Love did not come up to you and ask… No, it knocked down the door, barreled into you, like how Xyla had come into his life. And Love snuck up on you, slowly pulling you in, like Xyla's kiss.

No, Merlin didn't think he'd be sleeping tonight.

He was wrong. Within the hour he was stretched out on the not-so-fancy bed, snoring. One last thought echoed in his dreams, irrelevant, the last one he'd had before falling into slumber.

_She smelled like the pine trees that could be found around Ealdor…_

**Break**

Xyla waited for Gaius to come in before going to sleep. When she heard him open the door to his chambers and head for Merlin's room, she whispered a few words:

"_Meddyliwch weld Merlin cysgu weld rhith__."_

Gaius opened the door and, convinced he saw Merlin sleeping, turned and left again. Xyla's eyes flashed gold and she gave a small sigh of relief.

Smiling in triumph, she settled down on Merlin's bed and shut her eyes. She hadn't been so comfortable in weeks… She'd missed the softer feeling of a bed, the way a mattress, even a bad one like this, would conform to the curves of her body…

She breathed deeper and deeper, feeling safe. This whole room had the feel of Merlin…

Before she knew it, she was sleeping.

_A/N: The words for her spell are Welsh, literally, "Think see Merlin sleep see illusion." This was a more light-hearted, sweet chapter, mostly because after this I believe they'll start getting more intense, a little more action…_

_I know it isn't my best writing, but thanks to my stupid computer, a good deal of this was erased and had to be re-written—and it's never as good the second time. If you catch any mistakes, please let me know. It's hard to check my own work, but I hate find spelling and grammar mistakes, especially in my own stories. _

_I hope you enjoyed it; I worked like crazy to finish it tonight. Please review. _


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

_They were embracing; Xyla squeezed Merlin tightly. _Don't let go,_ she was thinking. _Don't ever let me go; I've never been so safe, so strong. _She felt his warmth, his love… He hugged her back…_

_The moment was pure, innocent, but it couldn't last. All good things faded… or, in this case, were yanked away forcefully. _

_All good things left Xyla._

_She wasn't sure how long it was before it began; suddenly hugging Merlin felt wrong. Suddenly she was sick, her mind on fire. She felt horror… horror without a reason…_

_Merlin pushed her away, his face hard, and he grabbed her by the wrists. Angrily, he lifted her hands into view; she gasped._

_Red. Red like angry Merlin; red like vengeance; red like blood._

_Blood._

"_Oh," she whimpered, staring at her hands which had only seconds ago been on Merlin's back. But there were no bloodstains on Merlin; of course not. She couldn't rub off on someone like that, someone so much better than she. _

_Merlin, surely, had never taken such drastic revenge, not in cold blood. _

_His eyes weren't sad, but horrified. He hated her now; she felt that. _

"_Merlin!" she cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was trying… I had to…"_

_She reached for him again, but faltered and became still when he did not try to hug her again. He backed away, slowly, disgust filling his face. _

"_Don't touch me," he said, tone clipped._

"_I didn't kill Arthur, Merlin! I didn't do that! I just took my revenge, and wasn't it mine to take? Merlin! Don't look at me like that!" she said tearfully, both furious and ashamed. Wasn't it her right to be angry at Uther? Did Merlin think her family should die and not be avenged? _

"_Murderess," he said. "Don't touch me, murderess."_

_Murderess. She was a murderess. Murderess._

Xyla sat straight up in bed. She couldn't believe her eyes were dry, that she wasn't crying. But she couldn't cry; she'd made up her mind; she would kill Uther. The dreams were to be expected, and she knew they would probably haunt her for years.

Might as well get used to it, she thought sadly, as she rolled over in bed. It was still dark outside, she noticed, staring at the window through unnaturally dry eyes.

She wanted to go back to sleep, but she couldn't do it at once. She had a terrible fear, turning her stomach…What if she had that dream again? What if she had to watch Merlin reject her one more time? She couldn't handle that…

_Get used to it, _she thought. _This is your choice. The only way to fix things is to kill Uther. It's your own fault if you went and fell in love with someone pure and sweet. _

_Your own stinking fault. _

_He called me a murderess. _

Suddenly she felt ill; her head spun and her stomach lurched. _I'm going to be sick,_ she knew, rolling off the bed and onto her knees on the floor. She cupped her hands around her mouth, laboriously forcing her lungs to drag in air through the cracks between her fingers, slowing down her frantic breathing.

For a moment she froze that way, hoping she wouldn't throw up in Merlin's room. Slowly the need to vomit died down, and she felt herself calm. Tentatively, she moved her hands from her sweating face and leaned back against the bed, forcing herself to breathe steadily.

_This is ridiculous. He's just a boy. Why do I care so much? Why does the thought of his displeasure make me feel like my insides are being wrung?_

_And Someone said love was wonderful. Ha. _

**Break**

Merlin felt like singing when he woke, but it took him a while to remember why. He stared up at the ceiling, utterly bewildered.

_Where am I? Why aren't I home? Why am I so happy? _

Then it hit him in a series of flashes: Xyla's laughter, the smell of pine, the sudden feeling of lightheadedness as she leaned closer and closer… and then Arthur and the prince's kind offer.

A goofy grin split his face. Some how he knew it in his bones: today was going to be a wonderful, amazing, incredible day. His face beginning to hurt from his huge smile, Merlin jumped happily out of bed. He couldn't help himself; he began to hum, a tuneless, joyful little song.

Merlin's eyes were droopy, he was hungry, his clothes were wrinkled, and he was headed for another long, chore-filled day. But what did he care about silly little things like that?

He was in love, poor boy.

**Break**

Arthur moaned as the darkness lifted and his mind began to whirl again.

_What? Someone in my rooms. Only one. A little to my right. _

His hand snaked out, grasping a goblet that sat on his bedside table, and, without ever looking, he threw it.

"Ow!" hollered an indignant voice.

Rolling over and not opening his eyes, Arthur said, "Merlin. You're on time."

"It's incredible," said the manservant sarcastically. "Is that why you threw that at me? If so I might never be on time again."

"Nah," said the prince flippantly. "I just felt like it."

Not sure just how to respond to that, Merlin remained silent for a moment. At last he said, "Okay then. Well, it's time to get up."

"Fine," muttered the prince, at last sitting up in his bed. He stretched, his muscles tightening, and scratched thoughtlessly at his chest. "I'm up," he said, standing and making his way over to the fire. He smiled sleepily; the fire felt good against his bare skin.

"Ready for breakfast?" asked Merlin pleasantly, setting the tray in front of Prince Arthur.

"Yes," said Arthur, opening his eyes. He reached for the piece of bacon on the tray, and stopped as Merlin began to hum.

He gave his manservant a suspicious look.

"Why are you humming?" he asked.

Merlin smiled at him. "It's a nice day," he told Arthur. "It's a great day. And I'm going to leave for about an hour pretty soon."

"Why?" inquired the Prince, a little surprised at Merlin's assured tone of voice. He just was going to announce that he would be gone for an hour, was he? Not asking permission or anything… just stating it as a fact.

"Gaius really needs me help gathering a few things… but, like I said, it won't be very long. I'll be back in time to clean your armor and clean your room and…"

"Do some laundry."

"That, too. I'm assuming you can get dressed by yourself?"

Arthur glared. "Of course I can."

"Really? I'm so proud. You're growing up. I'll get the tray when I come back."

And Merlin ducked out, smiling, and avoiding the pillow that Arthur threw at him.

**Break**

"Merlin, what exactly do you need my help with?" asked Gwen as Merlin pulled her along by her wrist.

"If you could just let my friend stay with you for a few days… I'll find somewhere else pretty soon, I promise."

"Who is this?" said Gwen, hoping inwardly that she would not be called upon to host another would-be knight or incognito prince.

"A friend of mine," he said, reaching Gaius's chambers. "You'll like her."

"Her?" A girl, then?

"Yeah… Gaius?" called Merlin, sticking his head into the rooms. "Are you here? Obviously not. Come on in, then, Gwen. Xyla?"

Xyla heard him and appeared in the doorway to Merlin's room. Her brown hair was around her shoulders, because she had just shaken it out of her braid. She'd been up for hours, and felt almost chipper, much better than last night. She smiled when she saw Merlin, but nearly scowled when she saw him holding Gwen by the hand.

"_No, Gwen," _she could almost hear her voice saying. "_He's mine. I call him. Mine." _

Trying to cover up, she plastered a great big smile on her face. "Merlin!" she called happily, running forward and kissing him quickly on the lips, claiming him for Gwen to see. Merlin blushed. "Thank you so much," she gushed, "for giving me your room. Wherever did you sleep?"

"_See?"_ her hostile glance at Gwen said clearly, _"He gave up his room for me. What does it matter if he's holding your hand?"_

Gwen, being a woman, read the glance and the kiss swiftly. She extracted her hand from Merlin's grasp kindly.

"Uh…" Merlin was muttering. "Somewhere… oh, this is Gwen. Gwen, Xyla."

Gwen nodded at Xyla, smiling. "Hello, Xyla." Gwen recognized the girl easily, but she didn't say anything.

"Hello, Gwen. It's great to meet you," said Xyla, trying not to simper, hoping she came across as earnest. After all, Gwen had let go of Merlin's hand. Maybe she wasn't interested.

Gwen gave Xyla a sharp look, then let her glance slide to Merlin. "_So you two are…?"_

Xyla smiled proudly, her hand absentmindledly and possessively stroking Merlin's arm. "_Yes."_

Gwen's raised eyebrow asked another question, or perhaps many questions. "_Do you love him? Are you serious?"_

The way Xyla's eyelids flickered and her lips turned up at the corners let Gwen know she was for real.

Gwen nodded her approval, and the non-vocal conversation came to a satisfactory end.

Merlin, being a man, and completely unaware of the unspoken words that had just passed between the two women, continued, "Gwen, I was wondering if you could perhaps let Xyla stay at her place for just a couple of nights. I'd put her up here, but between Gaius and me, there isn't any room."

"I don't mind staying on the floor," said Xyla, and this time, she sounded earnest. Too bad she wasn't.

"Sure she can stay," said Gwen. "I've got room."

"Thanks," said Xyla, smiling dazzlingly. "I appreciate it."

Gwen patted the girl's arm, their friendship cemented by their silent discussion of a few minutes ago. "Don't think a thing of it," she said. "And Merlin? Didn't you tell Arthur you wouldn't be gone long?"

Merlin nodded. "I did, and he left me a huge list of chores to do. I have to run. Xyla, Gaius usually leaves breakfast for me over there if he has to leave before I get up. Take some."

"What about you?" she asked, her hand unconsciously touching his sleeve. She liked how she could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt.

"I ate some of Arthur's breakfast," he assured her. "And I'm sure he noticed and will want my hide, so I'd better go."

Intoxicated from that last gentle touch of her hand, he nearly swaggered from the room. Gwen, grinning, followed.

_A/N: Another chapter done. Next week I believe I'll get into the whole murder-attempt scene. Thanks ILoveThesePeople and Naisa, my regular reviewers. _


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Arthur's hand descended firmly on Merlin's shoulder and did not let go.

"Ow, Arthur," the manservant complained as Arthur began to silently drag him down the hall. "What is the matter with you?"

Arthur didn't answer, just continued to drag Merlin along. Merlin wondered what he'd done wrong now… and hoped that Arthur let go before something in Merlin's shoulder gave. He picked up his pace, trying to keep up.

Arthur's hand was like iron, giving away his anger. Merlin didn't need to see his tense muscles through the fading light to know that he was probably thinking some inappropriate words.

Finally Arthur released him. They were standing by Arthur's door by now, and Merlin gave it a scared glance. Was whatever he did behind the door?

"My room," growled Arthur, "is a mess. Didn't I tell you to clean it?"

Merlin stared at the livid prince with disbelief. "You did not."

"I did."

"No, you didn't." Merlin pushed open the door and surveyed the room. "What, did it storm in here? It was not this messy this morning!"

"Yes, it was," disagreed Arthur, grabbing Merlin by the scruff of his neck and pushing him purposefully into the room.

"I would think I would've noticed…!" cried Merlin, struggling to get out of Arthur's strong grasp.

"So would I," said Arthur. "But you were a little _distracted_. Too distracted to hear my orders, evidently."

Merlin blushed. "I was not distracted," he protested in a mumble.

"Did someone knock you ever the head and dislodge what little brains you had?" cried the irritated Arthur, blue eyes flashing. "You were humming, Merlin. And singing."

Merlin looked embarrassed. "Alright, I remember. I'm sorry. I'll do better, and I'll get this tomorrow."

"No, Merlin, you'll get this right now. Tonight."

Merlin groaned.

**Break**

"I don't mind, really," Gwen insisted. "After all, it's only for a few nights. You should take the cot until you find somewhere else to stay."

Xyla shook her head, smiling pleasantly. "Don't be ridiculous, Gwen. I'm not kicking you out of your bed."

"Honestly, I do not mind. I want you to take it, Xyla…"

"Guinevere," Xyla interrupted, holding up her hand for silence. "Don't make me threaten to go back to Merlin's, because then he'll lose his bed. I would rather sleep in the back; I'm a very restless sleeper, so the creaking of the bed would keep you up all night."

_Besides,_ she thought, _Kushi's coming to get me soon, and I don't want you to wake when I leave. _

How, she wondered, would Gwen react to waking up without a king?

Gwen nodded grudgingly. "Alright. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I have. Merlin brought me something earlier."

"He's a sweetheart."

Xyla cast her a sharp glance, but Gwen ignored it, bustling about the room and putting blankets on the floor in the back. "Yes," agreed Xyla, "he is."

"I think you're very lucky."

"Sorry?"

"There we go, ready for bed. Don't pretend you don't know what I mean, Xyla."

Xyla made her way over to the makeshift bed, smiling slightly. "Speaking of pretending, Gwen, I saw you in the halls of the castle earlier when I was looking for Merlin. You were talking to the prince."

"That's not so unusual."

"Maybe not. But there was something about the way you were talking to him…"

"You're changing the subject."

"What subject is that?" asked Xyla, lying down in the soft blankets.

Gwen laughed and sat down on her bed. "You really like him, huh?"

Xyla shrugged. "What's not to like?"

"He's easily one of the most wonderful people in the world," Gwen told her.

Xyla's voice caught as she answered, "Yeah. I know." No one could ever say the same about her, a girl who was eaten at by hatred, and for a second her own inadequacy overwhelmed her. Who was she to love sweet Merlin?

"Loyal to a fault. Always does what he thinks is right. And clumsy to boot," laughed Gwen, as though it was another of his good points to be clumsy.

"Yeah," sighed Xyla. "Gwen, do you like it here in Camelot?"

"Pretty well. Why?"

"I was just wondering. It seems a little dangerous to live around here… especially alone."

"I guess it is."

"Why do you do it?" At first, Xyla had mentioned it just as a way to change the subject, but now she was curious. "What if you lose your job or something? What will you do?"

"I won't. Arthur… Prince Arthur promised."

Xyla's eyebrow shot up, and she sat up to look at Gwen. "Did he now?"

Gwen laughed and put her head down against her pillow. "Because he felt guilty. My father was killed for dealing with a sorcerer… but he was innocent."

Xyla felt as though she'd been slapped in the face. He smile disappeared. "I'm so sorry." _Curse Uther anyway,_ she thought.

Gwen waved her words away, but she looked a little sad. She didn't speak again, and within a few minutes she was sleeping.

**Break**

"I'm shaking, Xyla!"

"Cut it out, Kushi, I mean it. Let go of my arm; you're making me nervous!"

"I don't want to do this anymore, really. Why can't we go home?"

"We just can't!" snapped Xyla, even as she shushed Kushi through the darkness. "We have to go through with this. It's your plan, Kushi, don't make me be the smart one here."

"Heaven forbid," said Kushi, the joke belying her terror. The reality of the situation had begun to crash down on the girl, and she was frightened. Out of her wits.

"Now, which way to Uther's bedchambers?" asked Xyla, unnaturally calm. She'd made up her mind and she wasn't going back now.

No matter how much she wanted to.

"Uh, not this way," said Kushi, looking around and trying to be as collected as her usually-so-crazy friend. "Follow me." She turned and walked back up the hall, Xyla following.

Unbeknownst to them, this was the exact moment when Merlin left Arthur's chambers.

_Whew,_ he thought to himself, _that was a workout._ Why did Arthur have to have so much stuff lying around his room?

Merlin sighed, glad he would finally get a chance to collapse into bed and _sleep_…

What was that?

Merlin squinted. He'd seen someone turning the corner, he knew it. He or she was heading in the direction of the king's chambers…

Probably, he thought, a servant getting home late. And yet his feet started forward, his suspicious mind working. Stealthily he approached the corner, peeking around it… and got a glimpse of Xyla as she turned another corner.

Startled, he froze for a moment. What was she doing here? Why wasn't she sleeping at Gwen's? Why was she… sneaking around?

He followed furtively, his mind spinning. This could only be bad, he found himself thinking as his feet padded soundlessly against the stone floor.

He approached the king's door, string in surprise and fear. There, in the moonlight, he saw Xyla and another girl in the doorway, the two guards inert at their feet. The door was opened – locks were useless against magic – and Xyla was stepping into the room. Before the other girl could turn around and clock his view of Xyla, he saw a flash of light on metal, the unmistakable shape of a dagger… the dangerous scrape of a blade coming out of a sheath.

The day they met, Xyla had said to him: "I'm actually a magic woman, here to kill Uther for destroying all of my friends and family…"

Word. For. Word. And he'd thought she was kidding!

Obviously, she wasn't. Merlin's heart ached a little. Another evil sorceress. Another. Had she been lying to him about everything?

_I hope not,_ thought Merlin, _because I love her. _

_But I still have to stop her. _

He had to move fast, or Uther would be dead in seconds. Merlin had a brief moment of hatred for Uther—he always had to ruin Merlin's happiness! But this time it wasn't his fault. At least, not directly.

_I'm going to need help,_ he thought, _I can't possibly handle two magic workers at once—assuming that other girl has magic. _He needed the element of surprise. And backup. Fast.

Merlin's throat began to layer itself with magic without an incantation. His palms began to sweat; he shifted his weight from side-to-side; he blinked twice fast. And then he was ready. It had to be now.

"_**SAVE THE KING!"**___he screamed, barreling down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him. His magically amplified voice carried through the castle and beyond, waking everyone within a block of the castle. The girl standing guard by the door looked terrified, freezing like a scared deer.

He ran through her, slamming her against the wall painfully, and rocketed into the king's room, continuing to scream at the top of his lungs.

Startled by the sudden noise, Xyla had frozen, the knife in the air above King Uther's sleeping form. Her pretty head was turned to the side, taking in the sight of Merlin. Her brown eyes were puddles of nothingness in the night.

Quickly now, her hands thrust the knife at the now-awake and groggy Uther's chest, going for the kill.

Merlin's face contorted as he launched himself forward, feet barely touching the ground.. trying to get there in time… needing to save the king….

"_Yn dod i ben! Rhewi!"_

_A/N: Why, oh, why is this story taking so long to write? Forgive me and review!_


	9. Chapter Eight

_A/N: Spell from the last chapter is supposed to be "Cease! Freeze!" but I'm using a sketchy translator. It just sounded good. Also, I'll be updating pretty fast, because I'm so swamped that I want to finish this fic as soon as I can. Thanks to reviewers. The spell she's about to use is Welsh, supposed to be "Make me safe from magic, make me able to resist, make me shielded" and then "Disappear" and "Break". _

Chapter Eight

Before Merlin's spell even had time to hit her, she was mumbling, "_Gwneud i mi yn ddiogel rhag hud, yn gwneud i mi allu gwrthsefyll, gwneud i mi cysgodi…"_

It was the beginning of a protective spell, the first she'd ever learned, but she didn't have time to complete it. Merlin's spell hit her and contained her, freezing her. She couldn't move, couldn't get to Uther…

"_Diflannu_!" she shouted irritably, and the magic keeping her back seemed to explode into fragments.

Desperately she plunged downward. The only thing important to her right now was that Uther die… he had to die; she had to kill him! Kill him!

When she was but inches from his unguarded chest, someone slammed into her, sending both people onto the floor in a tangle of bodies.

She leapt to her feet, determined as ever, but Merlin dragged her back down, nearly pulling her arm from its socket. Ignoring the pain, she tried again, but he kept bringing her back to the floor.

"Let go!" she cried. "I have to kill him!" Tears were running down her face, blocking her vision, but it didn't matter. All she could see anyway was her mother burning, her father drowning…. Her sister covered in blood, a sword wound through her chest. Things she hadn't been able to remember clearly in years, all coming back to her now, feeding her fury. "He killed them!" she screamed. "He killed…!"

Merlin got to his feet and grabbed her by the shoulders. He was stronger than he looked. "Stop!" he yelled. "Stop! Listen! I need to talk to you!"

By this time Uther was on his feet, yelling too as guards knights and Arthur streamed into the room. It was chaos.

Merlin turned around to see the men, and when he turned back, Xyla was gone. He looked around frantically—there she was! By the window!

He called her name, but she ignored him.

"_Egwyl_!" she hissed, and the window shattered. With one last look at the King she couldn't kill and the boy she couldn't love, she disappeared, leaping from the window gracelessly.

Merlin looked back. Uther was sitting on the bed, and everyone else was crowded around him, yelling things. With a racing heart and a closed mouth, he went to join them.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" hollered Arthur, causing the shocked babble to die down. Everyone looked at him. "What happened? Anyone? One at a time!"

Uther's eyes were wide, giving him a terrified and unkingly look. "I don't know. I wake up to shouting and someone was over me with a knife, trying to kill me."

"There's the knife!" called one of the knights, pointing to where it sat on the floor, thankfully not bloodied.

"Who dropped it?" asked Leon.

"Merlin was in here first; he was over there," said a knight that Merlin hated, named Lionel. He certainly looked like a lion, large and shaggy.

Arthur scoffed. He was shirtless, but he was holding his sword at the ready. "I doubt Merlin was trying to kill my father."

"No," said Uther. His head was in his hands, looking drained. "It wasn't Gaius's boy. He rammed into the attacker; I remember that."

Arthur looked at Merlin expectantly.

Merlin swallowed and forced himself to talk. All he wanted to do was cry. "Out the window, that's where they went. They got away." He pointed to the broken window.

"Who was it? Did you see?"

"A girl. Brown hair. White shirt and pants," he said. Instantly he felt ashamed, as though he should be protecting her… _But she tried to kill the king! Don't I want her caught?_

No, he didn't.

Arthur pointed to half his knights, including Lionel. "Go find her. Arrest her." They nodded as one and ran out of the room, holding their swords.

Arthur had taken charge as though it was the easiest thing in the world. He pointed to the other half. "Protect the king. Father, were you injured?"

Uther shook his head helplessly.

Arthur nodded. "Leon!"

Leon stood at attention.

"We're going to make sure no one else was attacked, in case this was a group effort or a diversion. Merlin, come with me."

Leon took his orders and ran out the door, down the hall to the right.

Merlin walked out after Arthur, his arms wrapped around himself protectively.

"What happened?" asked Arthur as they strode down the hall, every hurried step they took equally three of their usual ones.

"I don't know. I was leaving your room when I thought I saw someone heading toward King Uther's room. I was suspicious, so I followed. I arrived in time to see the two girls—"

"What? There were two?"

"The two girls knocked the guards out with magic… or killed them, I don't know."

"They were alive."

_Just wanted to kill Uther, then._ "Then one went inside, pulling out a knife, and so I ran in – I knocked over the one standing guard outside – and crashed into the other one. I was screaming, that's what got everyone up, and then she escaped out the window. I guess she couldn't fight everyone. The other one disappeared. Or did you catch her?"

Arthur shook his head, his lips pressed together tightly. "Good thing you were there. You saved the King's life."

"Yeah, thank heavens I forgot to clean your room, huh?"

"That's not funny, Merlin."

Merlin's smile dropped. "You're right. Sorry. Ow!"

"What?"

"Um, nothing. Who are we checking on first?" Merlin tried to change the subject. His arms moved subconsciously across his middle.

Arthur noticed. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing…?"

Arthur stopped, his brow creasing. "Move your arms."

"Why? Do you want me to go help pick up?"

"I said, move your arms away."

"Arthur, maybe we should stop and get you a shirt first…" stalled Merlin.

"Merlin!" cried Arthur, along with a curse word. "Move your arm!"

Merlin did. It came away red and bloody, bleeding from a knife-slash. His shirt was bloodied, too, where he'd tried to hide his injury. Merlin could heal it in a second, but not in front of everyone, so he had to wait until he was alone.

The pain of it was driving him to near distraction.

Arthur tried not to gasp. He'd seen plenty of injuries before, of course, but somehow they all seemed worse on his manservant. Merlin was so thin and pale that the wound seemed much larger and more serious than it was.

"Go to Gaius," ordered the Prince of Camelot. "Get that checked. You're going to bleed all over the floor."

"I'll go run and get you a shirt, how about?"

"I'll get it myself; you go to Gaius."

"No," protested Merlin. "I have to stay and help…" He had to stay and make sure they didn't come back.

"They'll take care of it."

"But if they come back…"

"I assure you that the knights of Camelot are better prepared to take care of it than you are."

Merlin wasn't so sure, but Arthur had a point. With all the knights of Camelot on guard, Xyla and her friend didn't stand a chance at getting to the king.

_What was she thinking anyway? Was it all a lie?_ That hurt to think, more than he cared to admit.

Reluctantly he nodded and went to Gaius's chambers. The physician wasn't awake, so Merlin let him sleep and washed the blood by himself. The wound wasn't so terribly bad, but it was pretty deep. Merlin prepared to heal himself, but just then he heard the crashing sound of boots outside.

Right. The men were still searching for Xyla. Every time Merlin thought her name, he winced.

He doubted the men would come in here, but if they did, he didn't want to be caught practicing magic. That would just make his day complete. Instead, he went onto his room, where he'd at least have warning if they did come in.

He closed the door, sighing, and turned around.

"Xyla!" he yelped, his voice going up an octave in his shock.

She was sleeping on his bed.


	10. Chapter Nine

_Two chapters in one day! I told you I'd be going fast!_

Chapter Nine

She woke with a start, her brown eyes immediately finding Merlin's figure, standing in the doorway. She didn't look surprised.

"Merlin," she said, her voice sounding dead.

Merlin's mouth was open, but he was only using it for heavy breathing. Why couldn't he think of something to say? Why did the sight of her make his heart ache so much?

He shifted his weight. "What are you doing here?" He shuffled forward, shutting the door behind him. He should be running for the guards. But he didn't want to.

"You said you wanted to talk to me. Talk."

He stared at her, meeting her cool eyes. "Uh…" He moved his arm to scratch his head, and she gasped.

Her indifferent mask melted in an instant, and she jumped to her feet. "You're hurt! Oh, Merlin, did I do that?"

He blinked down at the wound in his arm, as though trying to remember how he'd gotten it. She was across the room in another moment, holding his arm gently.

She still smelled like pine. The scent of it nearly drove rational thought from his head. She was still beautiful.

"I'm so sorry. I hurt you. This is from the knife. Let me heal it," she told him. "Or do you want to do it?"

Confused, he stammered, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't be funny, Merlin. I saw you. I heard you. I felt you cast that spell. I can't believe I never saw it… I can't believe I never noticed!" She dropped his arm. It hurt when it hit his side.

"That's why you came here, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said, her tone harsh.

His heart cracked a little more. He'd half-hoped it would be because she… because she loved him. But she didn't. "I should call the guards," he said suddenly, turning away.

Her gasp of fear felt like a knife in his chest. He didn't like her to be scared.

"No! Merlin, please, not right away!" she begged him, eyes wide. She considered saying that she'd turn him in if he did, but ignored the idea. She wouldn't do that to him. No matter what.

He noticed that she didn't threaten him, but he wasn't sure what that meant. "Then when?" he asked, trying to keep his voice unemotional.

She didn't answer that; she just met his eye and asked him, "Why didn't you tell me? Why?"

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to murder the king?"

She jerked back as though he'd slapped her. "Because you wouldn't have approved."

_You did not just say that, _he thought in shock. But she had said it. And she meant it. He threw his hands up in exasperation. "I wonder why?"

"Merlin, don't do that with your arm!" she commanded.

He settled down, still glaring at her. She reached out and took his arm, whispering the word for 'heal', "_Gwella._"

He took his arm back and glared at her again, ignoring the wonderful feeling of skin knitting back together.

She sighed, looking at the floor and away from him. "He killed my family, Merlin. All of them. They are dead because of him." Her voice became rough and passionate. "I hate him! I…" Her voice broke, but she kept back the tears with a brave effort. She would not, _would not _cry right now.

"I wanted him to die," she continued, "because then I could stop hating. You of all people should understand!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You have magic too! You know he kills people like us. He's evil! Don't you care? Why do you serve him? Arthur, maybe I understand, he's not as bad as his father, but why Uther?"

Merlin looked into her blazing eyes and felt ashamed. But that was ridiculous. He wasn't at fault here. "I," he started, and coughed. He had to explain to her why, but under her fiery gaze, his ability to think seemed to desert him. Where were all those well-thought-out reasons? "I have to. He's the king."

"He's a rotten king."

"It's… it's not any loyalty to him… But it's wrong to kill him; that'll make you as bad as he is! A murderer!" Weren't those Gwen's words? He couldn't remember.

"I don't much care what _I_ am, if _he's_ dead!" Xyla started to shriek and remembered to keep her voice low. "Besides, he's a monster! Isn't it better for the people if he's gone?"

"He's not a monster, Xyla; he's a hurt and confused man!"

"Because that makes it better!"

Ignoring her, he continued, "And don't pretend you were thinking of the people, Xyla. You know you were thinking of your own pain."

"What's so wrong about that?"

"And besides, Arthur…"

"Right," she spat, "Right. Your precious Arthur! It's all about him! He would just be so hurt. Why would he even _care_? How could he be _attached_ to someone like the king?"

"Because, I told you, he's not a monster! But that wasn't what I was going to say, Xyla, if you would shut up and listen to me!"

She shut up, but looked ready to kill or spit ink.

"Arthur would take the throne if his father died. But he isn't ready for that, not yet. There's so much I still have to teach him! He'd have no friends; he isn't ready to confess to Gwen how much he loves her; he hasn't yet accepted that magic isn't evil! If magic killed his father, he never would! He'd be one rotten king, because he isn't ready. I have to... to teach him. And people like you aren't making this any easier on me! How can I teach him anything like this?"

"People like me?"

"Using your powers for vengeance, to hurt someone. It's… wrong… evil."

"I am not evil!" she barked, hurt.

"No, but that usage of magic is! You can become evil. If you kill someone for revenge."

She looked at him for a second, and he sincerely hoped that he was getting to her, that she understood what he was trying to do.

There was a tense moment where they locked eyes, blue on brown, hatred on compassion, destructive emotions on constructive. The only thing those eyes shared was pain.

Suddenly Xyla came to a decision; he saw it in her eyes. She leaned closer and kissed him briefly on the lips. "I love you, you know."

"Really?" he asked, ignoring the fluttery feeling in his stomach and the urge to kiss her again.

"Really. Almost nothing is more important to me than you."

"Almost."

"Do you know, one of the main reasons I love you is that you are so good, so sweet. Who you are makes people like you, makes people your friend. But evil works the same way. It only makes enemies. Enemies with a good reason. My family…"

She closed her eyes briefly, and Merlin was grateful. He loved her soft eyes, but he didn't want to see the hurt in them any more.

"I love you. Truly._ Sgil allan_. Goodbye, Merlin."

He opened his mouth to counter the spell, but there was no time. His head filled with a sharp pain, making him scream in surprise and agony. It only lasted for a moment, and then the pain dissolved. Everything began to slide together. He was losing his grip on reality… Xyla's face, crumpled with anguish, was the last thing he saw.

Then blackness swelled up around him and his mind capitulated. He didn't feel himself hit the floor.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Merlin's scream of pain brought tears to her eyes and a curse into her mind. She both wanted to sob that she was sorry and beg him to be silent; someone must've heard that.

"I'm sorry, Merlin," she said one last time, reaching down and teaching his cold cheek. He didn't respond to her caress.

For a moment her sorrow nearly overcame her, but she forced herself to stay on task.

"Someone will come," she muttered. She stepped over his body – the thought of that giving her another pang – just as the door creaked open and Gaius, the old physician, peered in.

He met her eyes and the two stared at each other in surprise. Then Gaius's eyes looked to the floor and took in Merlin's motionless body, lying on the floor like something broken, and he gasped. "What did you do?"

The door flew open, and he stepped in. But Xyla didn't have time for this. She ran past the old man, knocking him against the wall in an unconscious imitation of Merlin and Kushi. He tried to stop her, but she was young and strong, knocking his arm aside easily. He heart raced, and she had only one thought: Get outside before he gets help.

She ran through the chambers, knocking into the table and sending several bottles crashing to the ground. She winced as her hip hit it, but kept running. She had to get out, fast. Never before had she been so thankful for her comfortable trousers.

She escaped the building to the sound of Gaius calling for help, for soldiers, for Arthur, and ran out into the crowded street.

Xyla wouldn't be stopped so soon. Not by Merlin, not by soldiers. This was just a setback. A heart wrenching one, of course, but she was determined. Nothing could get in the way of her revenge, of her mission. Of her family.

No matter what, Uther would die. This day would be his last. Uther would die for her family, for her heartbreak, for her sins. And then she would be a new person. She felt sure of that.

Uther would die.

_A/N: I know it's short! But I'm in a huge hurry. Hopefully you get the idea. _


	12. Chapter Eleven

_A/N: I am going to put this at the beginning so I don't ruin the ending's effect. Next chapter should be the last. _

Chapter Eleven

He hadn't recognized the spell she used, and, for a horrible moment, he thought that she had killed him.

He'd never been so glad to be proven wrong. Not only did he wake up, but he woke up feeling energetic and healthy, feelings he did not usually experience when arsing from being knocked out.

_Thank you, Xyla._

Merlin opened his eyes. He was in his own room, on his bed. Either Xyla was a lot stronger than he thought or someone else had come in, found him and moved him. He stood up slowly and made his way to the door, yawning. Had the spell made him so tired, he wondered?

Leaning against the doorframe, he looked into the main room. Gaius stood there, leaning over Arthur, who was sitting on the table for generally reserved for patients.

"You were very lucky, Sire," Gaius was saying in his dry doctor voice. "It could have been much worse."

"I know," said Arthur, his blond head bent over to look at his wound.

Gaius nodded and looked to the side. "Merlin! You're up!"

He made it sound like Merlin had been taking a power nap.

Merlin nodded and came in to the room. "I'm up."

Arthur looked over at him, his eyes flickering up and down once, unconsciously checking to see of Merlin was okay. "I thought you were dead for a moment there," he admitted in a cold, bland voice.

For Arthur, that was like saying he had been worried sick. Merlin took it in his stride and responded, "No such luck; I'm fine. What happened to you?"

"We saw the sorceress leaving Gaius's chambers, and gave chase."

Merlin sighed and looked at Arthur's arm. "Is it broken?"

"No, just sprained and a little cut up."

"Anyone else seriously hurt?"

"No, just a few, mostly minor, wounds. I think Lionel broke his leg when she knocked all those carts and fruits and people on us, though…"

Merlin found it hard to be sympathetic.

"It was the strangest thing though," continued Arthur. "She turned around and saw us, and I got the feeling she was… going easy on us. Like she didn't actually want to hurt anyone." Arthur furrowed his brow as he spoke. It didn't make any sense to him.

"Maybe she's only after King Uther," suggested Merlin, who was privately thanking her again. He felt sure she'd gone easy because it was Arthur.

"She looked familiar, too," Arthur said.

Instantly the feel of her arms around him and Xyla's lips kissing him flooded his mind. He remembered the smell of pine trees, the erratic way his heart beat… and Arthur walking in. Talking past the lump in his throat, Merlin said, "It's hard to forget the face that tried to kill your father."

And it was true. Merlin still remembered everything about the knight who'd killed Balinor.

Arthur nodded. "It might just be that… but I don't know."

He couldn't read the guilty look in Merlin's eyes – Arthur had never bothered learning how – but Gaius saw it and raised his eyebrow. Merlin shook his head slightly at him.

_Maybe later, Gaius._

Gaius nodded and went back to wrapping a bandage around Arthur's arm.

"When do you think she'll try again?" asked Merlin.

"I don't. She and her accomplice would be crazy to try. My father is protected by a dozen of the best knights," Arthur said confidently.

Merlin snorted, and it nearly made him lose his balance. He leaned against the table, closing his eyes for a moment and therefore not seeing the concern flicker in Arthur's eyes.

Arthur had to stop himself from getting to his feet and steadying Merlin. The sorceress had attacked his hapless, hopeless manservant. That didn't sit well with the prince.

Finally Merlin said, "You don't really believe that, do you? These sorceresses are powerful."

Arthur shrugged, but of course Merlin couldn't see him.

"What happened to you, anyway?" he asked his manservant.

"I came in here to fix that cut… it wasn't very deep." He noticed Arthur's eyes land on his arm and quickly said, "It was on my stomach." A little white lie. "I didn't want to wake up Gaius, so I went into my room, and found her hiding in there. I guess she was hiding from the knights." He rubbed his head, thinking. "Then she just knocked me out and ran when I screamed."

Arthur nodded. "The scream was what got our attention."

Merlin was wondering to himself when he got so good at lying to protect himself that his fibs were mostly truth. He looked at Gaius and Arthur, saying solemnly, "I could feel that power, and I know she'll try again."

Arthur just shook his head, but he looked unsure. "No, Merlin, we have things under control. You should just go back to sleep. Gaius, can I go?"

Gaius nodded, backing away from the prince. Arthur got to his feet and started for the door.

"Arthur," called Merlin, "I'm going to help keep watch…"

"Merlin. Get some sleep," said Arthur, stopping and looking back in the doorway. "You're exhausted, and tomorrow I expect you wide-eyed and bushy-tailed; I have plenty of work for you to do."

Merlin sighed. He didn't like it, but when he tried to follow Arthur, Gaius stopped him.

"Merlin, what is wrong with you? What aren't you telling us?" asked the suspicious physician.

Merlin stopped. Did he really want to tell Gaius? What comfort could Gaius give him anyway? Merlin already knew it was a bad idea to be in love with Xyla. He already knew she was revenge-bent and that this could only end in disaster. Having Gaius say it didn't make it any better.

"Nothing," he said, "I just want to protect the king."

Gaius didn't look convinced. "Let the knights do that for once, Merlin. You really do need to sleep before you fall over."

Eventually Merlin gave up and went back to his room. In truth, sleeping sounded pretty good right now. Man, he was tired.

* * *

But it was not to be. Merlin had only been sleeping for what felt like a few minutes – though it was more like a few hours – when he was woken up by the noise outside. He heard screaming and running feet, and the bells of Camelot had begun to ring.

Merlin moaned and put his face in his hands a moment. He'd known she would try again. Then he leapt to his feet, straightening his blue neckerchief, and ran out the door.

He had to help _somebody_, though frankly he wasn't sure who he wanted to give his help to.

Outside, in the faded light, it was chaos. Knights were everywhere, swinging swords, and Merlin had to sidestep more than one peasant who wanted to know what was wrong. But the worst was the archers. They all had bows and arrows, and they were still shooting, not exactly sure if they had hit anything, in a direction facing away from the castle.

Merlin wondered if Xyla was fast enough to stop arrows with her magic.

He rushed to the castle, heart in his throat, everything seeming slow and unreal. This was going to end badly… he felt it in his bones…

In a corridor, he found Arthur yelling at a knight. "If either of them got away, find them! Follow them!"

The knight protested, "But we don't know where…"

"Then split up!" screamed the prince, losing his cool. The knight obediently ran off with no further delay.

"Arthur!" called Merlin, getting the prince's attention. "The king?"

"He's fine, but barely," said Arthur, sounding almost panicked. "How did you know they would try again tonight?"

"I guessed. Sorry I was right. What happened?"

"It was sheer luck, I nearly bumped into one of them. The archers are trying to finish them, we haven't fast enough swordsmen to catch them…"

But Merlin had turned on his heel and was gone before the Prince of Camelot could end the sentence.

_The archers are trying to finish them. Oh, Xyla, you sneaking, scheming, angry woman, please don't be dead. Please. Please. _

His feet beat the pattern on the floor, matching his heartbeat, matching his terrified thought, _Please. Please. Please. _

He turned a corner in the castle, noticing that the archers had stopped shooting into the night. Because they couldn't find a target to hit? Or because they had already hit their targets?

_Please. Please no. Please no. _

He ran out in to the courtyard, eyes ahead of him, looking for a sign of a person running away. He was hoping to see one, even though he knew that Xyla was probably too good at magic to be seen so easily.

Suddenly his feet were no longer under him, but behind him. He'd tripped and fallen forward, sprawled on the ground, but he didn't pause long enough to see if he had been hurt. Immediately he jumped to his feet, because he had a sick feeling he knew what he had tripped over.

The nausea only intensified when he saw the unmoving female body.

_Please no. Please no. Please, please. _


	13. Chapter Twelve

_A/N: I know it may seem like there is a time mistake here, but I want this to be the same night that she first attempted to kill Uther, okay?_

Chapter Twelve

_No._

Merlin would've given anything not to have to lean over and look at the inert body. He didn't want to know. He just didn't want to know. But he knew, at the same time, that he had to.

So he leaned down, and reached out. He felt himself nearly recoil when his hand touched her shoulder; it was bloody.

He had to know.

Trying to prepare himself, to brace his heart for the blow, he rolled her over onto her back.

She was dead. But she wasn't Xyla. It was Xyla's friend, the girl who stood watch by Uther's room. Merlin didn't know her name, but he felt unsettled. Only last night he had slammed into her, and she had been a living, breathing girl.

Now she was blood-covered, her young face still, arrow pieces protruding from her dead body. It was sick.

He wondered if Xyla, when he found her, would be in the same shape. The thought of Xyla put him back into action again, and so, not without a backward glance, he left the body there and kept running. He had to find Xyla.

He ran into the town, stopping when he reached a crossroad. Now where?

After thinking it out a moment, he finally muttered, "_Ddod o hyd i Xyla," _and suddenly he knew where she was—or where her body was. He couldn't get the corpse of the other girl out of his mind.

He ran to his right, eyes peeled for any sight of her. He needed to get there before the knights did, he thought, and he needed to… he didn't even know what he needed to do. Poor Merlin felt pulled in so many different directions.

But suddenly he was only being pulled in one; the one gravity was most fond of pulling him in. For the fourth time in less than twenty-four hours, Merlin hit the ground. This time, though, the roles were switched, and Xyla was tackling him.

"Xyla!" he gasped, the word that had been echoing in his mind flying out of his mouth at last.

She sat up quickly, pulling her knife away from him. "I thought it was a knight. It's you. It's you. Why don't you stop following me? Stop or, by the Old Religion, I'll kill you!"

Merlin stared at her for a moment, wondering what she was talking about. There was a half-crazy light in her eyes, and she was covered in blood. An arrow stuck out of her shoulder.

Realizing she must be half-mad with pain, he reached out a steadying hand to keep her from falling back down. She was swaying. Rather than accept his help, she swiped at him with her knife. "Don't touch me!" she cried, voice cracking. She scooted backwards.

"Xyla, it's me. We need to get that arrow out…"

"Just leave it!" she snapped.

"Xyla, I can't," he said, repeating her name, trying to calm her. "I bet that hurts."

"You killed Kushi!"

He thought back to the dead girl. "No, I didn't, Xyla. I promise. It was the archers… but they aren't gonna get you…"

"Who cares? It's your fault… Get away, I said," she snapped.

She was probably delirious, he decided, noticing how her speech wasn't making any sense. No sane person would turn away medical help. And really, this was ridiculous. He was destined to be the most powerful warlock ever… and he couldn't even get an injured girl to stay still long enough to be treated.

"Xyla, cut it out; I'm trying to help."

There were tears running down her face, but she still managed to take another swipe at him, at the same time pushing her frizzed hair from her face.

"_Cynnal ei dal ac yn eu lle."_

She froze, glaring at him.

"Now let me fix that," he told her, reaching his arm out toward her shoulder. The look in her eyes got decidedly more panicked when he took the arrow in his hands.

When he pulled it out, nice and cleanly, she closed her eyes, another tear leaking out.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but you need to be healed… _gwella_."

The skin on her shoulder began to knit itself together, turning from red to pink to a white that nearly matched the ripped-off sleeve. Scar tissue.

"_Rhyddhau._ Better?"

She glared at him a moment longer, but put the knife down. "What do you think? Kushi's dead."

"I'm sorry," he said lamely, at last getting up off his knees and onto his feet. She stood up too, swaying. And then she burst into loud, noisy, hysterical tears.

Merlin grabbed her and, part from love, part from terror of being found, pressed her head into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his back, still crying. "My best friend is dead," she told him.

He thought about how he would feel if Arthur died. He didn't even have the heart to shush her.

"She's dead! It's all my fault…"

"No, it isn't."

"She was scared; she didn't want to do it, but I made her. I made her and she's dead! Just like my sister and my mother and father…" she trailed off, sobbing again. Merlin still held her, burying his face in her brown hair. "I just want to die. I can't do anything. I can't get revenge; I can't keep a friend; I can't even love you without dragging you into… this. I'm like a bad luck charm. I'm a _creature_."

She'd said it. The words that had been floating around her head forever, since her family died, as long as she could remember.

"You are not. Don't say that, Xyla, don't say that. It's not your fault about your family. And I would've been dragged into this anyway. I always am. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Her sobbing stopped, but her shoulders still shook. "I wish I'd never agreed. I wish I'd never come. Nothing good came of this."

He couldn't deny it, exactly. After all, all she'd gotten was a dead friend, and all he'd gotten was a broken heart. But he didn't regret it. Voice soft, he told her so. "I don't regret my part, you know. I love you."

She nearly laughed. "Still?"

He chuckled softly. "Yes, Xyla, still. I can't help it. You are the most crazy, emotional, wonderful woman ever."

She smiled weakly. "Kushi was great too. I wish you'd met her. Everyone loved her so much… she was the one with the brain…" Tears filled her big brown eyes. She buried her head into Merlin's chest again.

Much as he pitied her, they couldn't stand there all night. Someone would come soon, and if she wasn't killed on the spot, she would be executed. Like heck was he letting that happen.

"Xyla," he said, pushing her away a little, though he didn't really want to. "I'm sorry, but we need to get you out of here. Now."

She sighed, looking defeated. "And if I told you that I didn't care what happened to me anymore?"

"I'd tell you to shut up. They'll be here any minute, you know. You need to get out of here fast."

"I can't outrun them."

There was a moment of silence as Merlin bit his lip, thinking. He was glad to have something to ponder out again, rather than just standing there, heart sinking. It made him feel almost normal. "Well, then," he said at last, "We need to make them stop chasing you."

**Break**

"_Creu rhith o Xyla marw."_

Arthur jogged up to Merlin, sword in hand. His manservant was standing silently in the middle of an open road, staring straight ahead, his shirt still covered in blood because he'd forgotten to change before going back to sleep. Had Arthur been paying closer attention, he might've noticed not all of it was dry. But he never would've guessed that was because Merlin wiped the blood on his hands off there after removing the arrow from Xyla's shoulder.

Arthur. There was so much he would never know.

"Merlin!"

Merlin turned his head and, for a strange moment, Arthur could've sworn his eyes were yellowish. But on second glance, they were the same old blue.

_Trick of the light. Or lack thereof._

"Merlin, what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I heard something over this way and came to check it out."

"Alone?"

"Yes. Now what are you doing over here?"

Merlin shrugged as he replied, "I saw the sorceress" (_Xyla. Her name is Xyla._) "heading over this way."

Arthur looked surprised. "And you followed her alone…? Well, where is she? Where'd she go?" he asked, lifting his sword a little higher and looking around warily.

Merlin jerked his head at the road before them. Arthur looked, and he saw it too—the dead body a short distance away.

"Oh," said Arthur.

"Her wounds killed her, I guess," said Merlin. He winced at how close it was to the truth. What with all her emotional wounds, she was lucky to be whole.

Arthur slowly lowered his sword and began to walk forward.

Merlin stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure," replied Arthur, lifting his sword once more. He approached the corpse. Merlin didn't look at it. It was just too real.

The Prince of Camelot looked down at the body, seemingly convinced that it was, in fact, the sorceress. There was an arrow in her back, right in her spine. Merlin didn't look, but still he knew these things anyway. He stared into the space above the 'body', blinking back the tears.

_It's not real. It's not._

It looked real. And that hurt. His heart hurt again because of the no-magic law.

For a moment, Merlin hated Uther and Arthur. This was their fault. Them and their stupid, ignorant hatred of magic. He felt his face go red and he suddenly wanted to shout, but he stopped himself. No. No, he couldn't just blame Uther for it all. He sighed, letting go of the anger all in one breath. He couldn't let himself do that.

Arthur crouched down gently and reached out his hand. He didn't hear Merlin whisper, "_Gwneud y rhith deimlo'n solet_" under his breath, eyes flashing a subtle gold. But then it was Arthur. He never noticed.

Arthur took the wrist of the girl and felt it. There was no pulse. Dropping the girl's arm, he stood up and turned to Merlin. "She's dead."

Merlin could've told him that.

"I'll call someone to take the body away," said Arthur, his voice all business.

"No… I… I'll take care of that, Sire."

Arthur looked at him blankly.

"I'm sure you want to get back to your father now. After a night like tonight he's going to want you around," fabricated Merlin swiftly. Inwardly he was thinking... surely if he talked to Gaius, and had Gaius talk to the undertaker...

The puzzlement disappeared from Arthur's blue eyes. "I suppose he will. I'll leave you to do that, then."

And for Arthur, that was synonymous with "thank you".

Arthur turned and walked away, taking his time about it. He disappeared into the darkness, back towards the castle of Camelot and his royal life. But Merlin wasn't quite ready to go back there yet.

And the prince never noticed how Merlin stayed behind. It was something Xyla had said once… _"It's funny how people ignore those that they really should be paying attention to." _Merlin wished he'd paid closer attention to Xyla. Then all of this could've been avoided.

He stared at the ground as the illusion of the body melted away, leaving the street empty but for him and the shadows on the walls. One of those shadows, in a far corner, detached itself and strolled forward, its arms snaking around Merlin's waist.

In his ear, Xyla whispered, "I still don't see why you care so much about him. He's an idiot."

Merlin managed to smile. It was never hard to smile at Xyla. He turned his body around, embracing her again. "I don't know," he said, noticing the sad look in her brown eyes.

She laid her head on his shoulder, sighing. "Well, then, maybe you're an idiot, too. And I so wanted a man smarter than I am."

He would never understand how she could sound so lighthearted right now. That was one of the best parts of Xyla.

"I guess this is goodbye," he said into her ear, but held her a little tighter, not wanting to let go.

She pushed him away abruptly, shaking her head. "But only for now, Merlin. You don't think you'll get rid of me so easily, surely!"

He was confused, but felt his lips begin to smile anyway. "What?"

"Okay, so killing the king didn't work out. But I'll be back for you, Merlin, trust me. Someday, I'm coming back."

He chuckled, just a little, but it felt out of place. "Then I'll wait for you to come back."

Her smile wasn't as amused as usual. "It's your choice, but don't hold your breath until I do. It might take a while, and I expect you more or less in one piece, okay? And burn that shirt. The stains aren't coming out," she ordered sternly.

"Yes, mother," he said, kissing her quickly.

"Goodbye, Merlin." Merlin's hands latched onto her wrists, but she pulled away. "I have to go."

"I know."

"And Merlin?"

"Yes?"

She leaned forward again, sweetly and softly claiming one last kiss for her own. "Just so you know," she said, her hand touching his cheek, "I still love your ears. They _are_ adorable."

**The END!**

_A/N: WHEW! Thanks to those who reviewed, especially early on (because as the chapters continued, I got less and less.) As it's over, I hope everyone will make one last effort to click the little review button and REVIEW! I do accept unsigned reviews, by the way. So, I hope you enjoyed it. Goodbye!_

_Translations:_

**Ddod o hyd i Xyla. **Find Xyla.

**Cynnal ei dal ac yn eu lle. **Hold still and in place.

**Gwella.** Heal.

**Rhyddhau.** Release.

**Creu rhith o Xyla marw.** Create an illusion of Xyla dead.

**Gwneud y rhith deimlo'n solet**. Make the illusion feel solid.


	14. Sneak Peek

Guess what? I finally got around to posting the sequel to "Scheming Woman"! It's called "Of the Wooded Land" and takes place after s3 ends. Fanfiction was giving everyone a lot of grief when I posted it, though, so please tell me if it gives you trouble.

And since you are looking at it here, I'll give you a little summary/teaser thingy for the story!

* * *

It begins with Morgana looking for a healer to save Morgause. Odd that the one she finds has a blue neckerchief around her neck, and a too-cutesy-to-be-sincere attitude.

* * *

The trick is, they're sure, once you get Merlin, you get Arthur, one way or another…

* * *

Merlin has disturbing dreams about a love that he hasn't seen hide nor hair of in a year. Why is he dreaming about her now? Why are these dreams so unlike her? Is someone trying to tell him something?

* * *

When Merlin requests a vacation and gets very irate at being denied one, Arthur thinks it's weird. When Arthur has a strange dream, he _knows_ it's weird.

* * *

Arthur and Merlin don't actually arrive with style, but Xyla sure wakes up with style!

* * *

Just because she loves Merlin and likes Arthur well enough doesn't always mean you can trust her, you know. Have we forgotten that she tried to kill someone last story?

* * *

"If you don't let me heal him right now, he'll die!"


End file.
